Minister of State for European Affairs Szabolcs Takács held talks with Director General of the Finnish Department for Europe Jukka Salovaara on 8 April 2015.

At their meeting, the two politicians have discussed the development of the Greek crises, issues of energy security and the state of bilateral relations between Hungary and Finland. Both parties emphasised the importance of the diversification of energy sources and routes. They pointed out that the two countries represent similar standpoints regarding the use of nuclear energy, and share the view according to which all member states should be granted the right to make decisions regarding their energy mix on their own. The Minister of State underlined that “the priority objective of the Hungarian government is to ensure cheap energy for households.”

Deputy State Secretary for EU Affairs Vince Szalay-Bobrovniczky invited the Finnish Director General to a working lunch, at which they have discussed the issue of energy security and that of the Russian-Ukrainian crises. They shared the opinion that the EU must stand up for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and for the compliance with the Minsk Agreements. “The conflict of the neighbouring country is an especially sensitive topic for Hungary, as we are responsible for the fate of two-hundred thousand Transcarpathian Hungarians.”

(Prime Minister's Office)