Mick Mulvaney, White House Director of the Office of Management and Budget, too, is urging the renewal of Hungarian-US relations, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog told the Hungarian news agency MTI after his talks in the White House.
On Friday Mr Balog had a one-hour meeting with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the White House.
The Minister informed MTI that at the meeting they reviewed the economic and security policy aspects of Hungarian-US relations, and also spoke about the remarkable efforts the Hungarian government is making in the interest of persecuted Christians.
Mr Balog described the economic and security policy aspects of Hungarian-US relations as important, and highlighted that the United States is Hungary’s second largest economic partner after Germany, while Hungary is also seeking to play a considerable role in NATO. The Minister said that the US party is satisfied with Hungary’s contribution to the North Atlantic Alliance, in particular in light of the fact that Budapest will increase its contribution to the budget of the military and security organisation.
At the meetings held in the White House the parties highlighted that it is important to revitalise US-Hungarian intergovernmental relations. Mick Mulvaney himself agreed with this, and pledged to facilitate the process.
The influential US official specifically spoke about the Hungarian government’s efforts to help Christians persecuted around the world, and in particular in the Middle East. Agreeing with the concept that specific help should be taken to troubled regions, Mr Mulvaney welcomed these efforts and urged close US-Hungarian cooperation also in this field. US-Hungarian relations are heading in the right direction, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog quoted US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after he met and had talks with him on the occasion of the Thursday National Prayer Breakfast.
Mr Balog and the delegation headed by him are in the US capital Washington on a four-day visit where he had talks with US legislators, attended the traditional American National Prayer Breakfast, and opened the exhibition entitled In Crossfire about persecuted Christians in the Middle East at the Hungarian Embassy.
The Minister also had talks with legislators who lodged a protest with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on account of the fact that the US Department of State was planning to launch a media fund to support the Hungarian press.
He added that he also consulted with politicians about ways to revitalise Hungarian-US relations. “They promised to provide every assistance with this”, the Minister informed MTI, mentioning that a US Congress delegation is planning to pay a visit to Budapest.
At the National Prayer Breakfast Mr Balog spoke to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about Hungarian-US relations. The Minister confirmed “he has the feeling that we are on the right track, and the appointments made in the US Department of State have induced a certain kind of change in their approach to Hungary”.
(Ministry of Human Capacities/MTI)
