Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó received France’s Secretary of State for European Affairs Herlem Désir, who is the first high-ranked French government official to visit Budapest since 2010.

The two politicians agreed that both France and Hungary have an interest in a strong European Union, even if they occupy opposing standpoints concerning certain details of the path that leads there.

Download

Economic cooperation between the two countries is extremely close, France is Hungary’s fourth most important trade partner and fifth largest foreign investor, in addition to which our research & development cooperation is also gaining strength. With regard to migration there is agreement on the importance of protecting the EU’s external borders, although the two countries have different views with regard to the issue of relocation quotas. Mr. Szijjártó made it clear that there is no way Hungary will accept mandatory relocation quotas and views them as a bad and unenforceable solution to the immigration crisis. There is, however, agreement between the two countries regarding the importance of above-board and transparent free trade and the need to reinforce European security cooperation.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)