Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orban: we are expanding cooperation in the field of nuclear energy with China

– There is great potential to expand cooperation between Hungary and China to cover the entire spectrum of the nuclear industry, which has never happened before, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban after a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

However, Orban did not specify what exactly this cooperation would include. Before Xi's visit, Hungarian media reported that the Chinese may become involved in the future expansion of the nuclear power plant in Paks, in central Hungary, which is being implemented by Russia's Rosatom.

We support the “one China principle”, i.e. we consider Taiwan an integral part of this country, Orban said on Thursday. He also expressed support for China's peace plan regarding the war in Ukraine, which includes, among other things, immediate cessation of hostilities, negotiations and lifting of sanctions.

Xi Jinping said Beijing supports Budapest in its efforts to play a greater role in the European Union and strengthen cooperation between China and the EU. He also emphasized the strategic importance of relations with Hungary.

Before speaking to the press, both politicians signed a number of bilateral agreements. One of them assumes increasing the export of Hungarian agri-food products to China.

Earlier, Xi met with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok. The leader of China expressed, among other things, hope for pragmatic relations with Beijing during the six-month Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, which starts on July 1.

Orban's government opposes actions by the European Union that would hinder economic cooperation between Europe and China. This is primarily about the electric car sector, in whose development in Hungary Beijing has invested billions of dollars in recent years.

The Chinese leader will stay in Hungary until Friday. He previously visited France and Serbia. The last time Xi was in Hungary was in 2009, before he took up a leadership role in the People's Republic of China. This year, both countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.