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ORBÁN: JOINT HUNGARIAN-GEORGIAN GOVT SESSION IN PIPELINE

 

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference after talks with his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Garibashvili, that their governments will hold a joint session in Georgia next year following a preparatory ministerial meeting. The joint government meeting is aimed at giving new momentum to bilateral economic cooperation. He said there was a “benevolent prejudice” towards Georgia in Hungary and though the two countries are geographically far apart, there were many similarities between them geopolitically. Also, both nations have major cultural traditions and a unique language which they have to preserve while being surrounded by larger peoples, he added.
Hungary and Georgia share very similar views when it comes to geopolitics, war and peace, Orbán said. “We Hungarians want an immediate ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia war and peace talks to be held as soon as possible, which is very similar to the Georgian approach,” he said. Garibashvili said Georgia’s primary goal was to obtain EU candidate status and an eventual membership. He expressed his thanks for Hungary’s support in this goal as well as its support of Georgia’s territorial integrity. Georgia is currently implementing the European Council’s recommendations, he said, adding that its economic growth was in the double digits. He said Georgia also wanted to join NATO, noting the country’s “huge sacrifices” in NATO missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Garibashvili said the war in Ukraine was “completely unacceptable”, adding that Georgia supported Ukraine in every way it could. He welcomed the strategic partnership signed with Hungary, vowing to support the joint energy project.