Hungary commits to deepen collaboration with Russia

(MENAFN) Hungary, as stated by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in a Facebook post on Friday, is committed to deepening its collaboration with Russia, even in the face of sanctions-related pressure.

Szijjarto's statement came after his meeting with Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, where they both co-chaired the Russian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission. This meeting took place within the context of the 'Russian Energy Week' forum held in Moscow.

“Even in the current geopolitical circumstances, Hungary is striving to pursue cooperation with Russia on the basis of mutual respect, while pursuing its national interests,” the Hungarian foreign minister posted. As the EU, as a collective, has been imposing stringent measures on Moscow in response to developments in Ukraine, Budapest has adopted a neutral position regarding the conflict. In fact, Hungary has consistently and openly voiced its criticism of the EU's sanctions policy, contending that it ultimately has a more detrimental impact on the EU itself rather than Russia.

In his social media update, Szijjarto conveyed Budapest's strong interest in boosting the involvement of Hungarian businesses in Russia, particularly in sectors that remain unaffected by sanctions or limitations.

“The agricultural and health sectors are not affected by the sanctions, so we will continue to support the expansion of Hungarian agricultural and food companies in the Russian market and we will also encourage the development of cooperation in the health sector.”

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