Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday as part of his tour of major EU capitals ahead of Hungary assuming the revolving European presidency on July 1.
The Italian prime minister expressed her gratitude to Hungary for making Europe’s demographic challenge a priority issue during its six-month presidency.
“We need a strong Europe that can play a leading role in the world, and the problem of depopulation affects the whole continent,” Meloni said. “No single country has the capacity to replace an aging population to sustain its continuation. Failure to reverse the trend in the medium and long term will lead to unsustainable situations,” she added.
The Italian premier also stressed that there are excellent bilateral relations between Rome and Budapest and that Hungary is an important European partner and a valuable NATO ally.
She expressed satisfaction with the intensive political dialogue in recent months and the strengthening of trade relations; she also revealed that Italian companies are paying particular attention to the opportunities offered by the Hungarian market, both in terms of exports and investments.
Other topics discussed included the future of the Balkan nations, which both Italy and Hungary consider to be of strategic importance, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Meloni stressed that she strongly appreciated and was grateful that Hungary had so far allowed member states and allies to reach agreements on important issues regarding Ukraine, even if the Orbán administration did not fully agree with the approach taken in both EU and NATO meetings.
While the two governments differ on the ongoing conflict, they do agree on the competitiveness of the continent, its defense, cohesion, and agricultural policies.
Meloni pointed out that both Hungary and Italy prioritize stopping mass illegal immigration, protecting the continent’s external borders, eradicating human trafficking, and working in partnership with countries of origin and transit, as the root causes of migration must be addressed. She stressed the importance of seeking new innovative solutions for migration, such as the Albanian-Italian cooperation.
