Orbán could meet Trump at NATO summit
Photo by flickr.com/Nicolas Raymond
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could have the chance to meet U.S. President Donald J. Trump in May, as Trump agreed to meet the leaders of NATO member countries after negotiating with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, according to a White House press announcement.
(Photo: flickr.com / Nicolas Raymond)
The announcement said that during a telephone call, Trump and Stoltenberg “reconfirmed the importance of the Alliance in troubled times,” which comes as a slight surprise after Trump had criticized NATO on numerous occasions recently, with particular regard to what the new president sees as the United Statesʼ unfair share in the financing of the organization.
“The Secretary General recalled NATOʼs consistent policy of strong defense and dialogue with Russia … The Secretary General and President Trump looked forward to the upcoming NATO summit in Brussels in late May to discuss these issues,” cnn.com quoted the statement as saying.
At the summit, Orbán may have the chance to meet personally with Trump, even if only for a short unofficial dialogue. The Hungarian prime minister was one of the first leaders in the world to endorse Trump during the American elections, praising the then candidate for his stance on “illegal migration.”
Following Trump’s election, the two leaders were reported to have shared a phone conversation in which Trump reportedly invited Orbán to Washington, but no official date has yet been set.
Hungary’s relationship with the United States is expected to change for the better as the Trump administration is widely seen to be less critical of the Hungarian government, compared to the Obama administration, which periodically criticized the Orbán regime in matters of corruption, media freedom, and most recently its treatment of NGOs.
Hungary Gasoline Prices 3% Over Regional Avg
Gov't Wants Sustainable Business Model for Magyar Posta
120,000 Guest Workers Employed in Hungary
Budapest Airport Wins 'Best Airport in Eastern Europe' for 1...
SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
