Orban said he had decided against travelling to Georgia during the election campaign so as not to give the impression to locals that he was interfering in the vote.

He said Hungarians and Georgians had positive views of each other. "You are a nation of freedom fighters and so are we," he said. "We're surrounded by great powers and are you. We have always had to fight for our sovereignty and freedom..." he added.

The prime minister congratulated his Georgian counterpart on his election win, adding that no one from international organisations monitoring the vote had "dared" question its legitimacy as a free and democratic election. "No one dares to go this far."

Orban said Hungary had also sent observers. "We saw with our own eyes what was going on," he said, adding that their reports were "clearly positive".

Hungary, neighbouring Ukraine, "knows what war is like" and was "aware of the value of peace", he said.

As a pro-peace country, he said, Hungary valued Georgia's peace efforts. "No one wants to ruin their own country and drive it into a senseless war," he said, adding that Georgians had "voted for peace".

They were also pro-European, he said, adding that both the ruling party and the opposition were "committed to EU integration", and insisting that Georgia was "perhaps the only country in the world whose constitution states that every government must strive for European Union membership."

Orban said that doubting the Georgian government on this score was "a joke more than anything".
 

Luckily, locals had not allowed their country to become a second Ukraine, he said.

Orban said Hungary fully supported Georgia's endeavours to join the EU, adding that by the end of the decade the country would be "the most prepared" candidate.

The two governments have agreed to pursue cooperation in strategic areas, he said, noting a recent investment-protection pact. Hungary is keen to participate in infrastructure developments in Georgia, too, he said, also mentioning a plan to deliver to the EU green electricity generated in the Caucasus.

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary have already set up a joint venture to achieve this, which he called a "decisive step".

Orban noted that 80 Georgian university students are given Hungarian scholarships each year.

The prime minister said disputes in Europe over the election were likely to endure over the next few days but "no importance" should be attached to them. "European politics has a handbook... If liberals win, then it's democracy, if conservatives win, then it's not democracy," he added.

Szijjarto: 'Official fear mongers' agitating over Georgian election

The "usual whiners and official fear mongers have wasted no time" in agitating over the Georgian elections, Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, said in Tbilisi on Tuesday, referring to "13 European foreign ministers".

Before his meeting with his Georgian counterpart, Ilia Darchiasvili, Szijjarto said on Facebook that "dozens of European Union countries simply don't understand that democracy is about the will of the people" and not "appointed from Brussels".

He said mainstream liberals believed that a country was democratic only if a liberal party won the election. Hungary, he added, had faced "similar external attacks" for 14 years.

The minister said that Hungary would continue to work closely with the Georgian government with a view to speeding up its European integration.

Szijjarto: Georgia made clear decision 'not to become another Ukraine'

Georgia did not want to be "a second Ukraine" and its people made a "clear decision" in the country's recent election, "even if this hurts Brussels a lot," Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, said in Tbilisi on Tuesday.

"What's happening in the southern Caucasus is what usually happens in Europe: when an election anywhere is won by patriotic, sovereigntist and pro-peace forces, massive attacks are launched immediately," the Hungarian foreign ministry quoted Szijjarto as saying after talks with Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili.

"International organisations and foreign ministers of northern and western European countries line up to compete in lamenting the destruction of democracy ... but if a liberal party wins, that is, interestingly, interpreted as democracy on top form," Szijjarto said.

"Brussels' huge disappointment is spectacular, and there is great dismay in Europe's liberal circles... They expected the Georgian people to happily vote for the government and political players selected by them; well, this hasn't happened," the minister said.

He said it was "shameful" that the results of the Georgian election were not being accepted and Georgians' right to decide over their future was being questioned. "It is high time everybody got accustomed [to the idea] that governments of certain countries, whether in the EU or outside, are not appointed in Brussels," he said.

Referring to criticism from the European People's Party, Szijjarto suggested that the group felt a "sense of guilt" because it used to be in the right wing and then "it was together with the Socialists too long ... and have now essentially drifted to the left".

Szijjarto highlighted the Georgian government's "huge achievement" of ensuring peace in the country "despite the well-known circumstances, in the given geopolitical and regional environment". During the terms of Georgia's incumbent government "there has been no war or armed conflict in the country, which shows that if you make an effort to achieve peace, you can," he said.

The minister noted the strategic partnership between Georgia and Hungary, and said Europe's energy security and the green transition were largely dependent on the cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary, under which green energy generated in the Caucasus would be imported to central European countries.

Natl economy minister meets with Georgian Vice Prime Minister

National Economy Minister Marton Nagy met with Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili, in Tbilisi, his ministry said on Tuesday.

Nagy expressed his congratulations on the victory of the ruling party in the Georgian parliamentary elections. During the meeting the ministers reviewed the global economic trends and bilateral economic relations.

The sides agreed that cooperation between Hungary and Georgia has steadily developed in recent years, including in the energy, pharmaceutical and food industry sectors.

Nagy noted that Georgia is Hungary's 74th largest trade partner, bilateral trade volume has increased by 12pc so far this year and the government wants to further increase the trade in goods.

The strengthening of economic cooperation with Georgia is an opportunity not only for Hungary, but also for the EU as a whole. Therefore, Hungary continues to support Georgia's EU integration efforts. Hungary strives for cooperation with everyone based on mutual respect, further strengthening the role of our country as a bridge where Western and Eastern capital and technology are connected, he added.

Varga meets with Georgian counterpart

Finance Minister Mihaly Varga met with his Georgian counterpart, Lasha Khutsishvili, in Tbilisi, his ministry said on Tuesday.

The minister noted that bilateral economic relations are strengthened by the fact that in recent years agreements on the avoidance of double taxation, the facilitation of customs procedures, the cooperation between tax authorities and the exchange of experiences were concluded.

Hungarian companies are entering the market in Georgia with increasing success, mostly supplying pharmaceutical, vehicle and machinery products, he added.

During the meeting Varga noted that bilateral trade had increased by 12pc and Hungarian exports by 17pc in the first eight months of the year.

Varga said Georgia is also interested in Hungarian experiences in cracking down on tax evasion and debt management.

Within the framework of a cooperation agreement on e-taxation signed last year, Hungary is helping the development of the Georgian tax system with its experiences with pre-filled personal income tax returns and innovations related to online cash registers and vehicle taxes, he added.

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

*********************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: 
Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary

You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters

Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here.