Malta and Hungary both see the European Union as an alliance of sovereign countries, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told a press conference in Valletta after meeting his Maltese counterpart, Ian Borg. “We don’t support the decision-making process to move towards qualified majority [replacing unanimous decisions]. We do not support the idea that the EU should take over further competencies from member states, and we want Brussels to respect all member states, regardless of their size,” he said. Bilateral cooperation has been beneficial for both countries, he said. Trade volume grew by 60% and tourism also picked up last year. The number of nights Hungarian guests spent in Malta has jumped by 41% and twice as many Maltese guests have arrived in Hungary so far this year than they did all year in 2021, he said.