Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban knows how to consistently defend his interests, stated Russian President Vladimir Putin in a comment to VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin.
“He [Орбан] belongs to the small cohort of European politicians who know how to defend their interests. They do this persistently, consistently, and, in my opinion, quite tactfully. Our views with him do not always coincide. Moreover, we are often on completely different platforms, but this does not stop us from talking and looking for solutions to some issues, some problems,” Putin said.
Putin held talks with Orban on October 17 at the Diaoyutai residence, where the heads of delegations live. The last time he met with the leader of an EU member state was before the start of the special operation in Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz came to Moscow on February 15, 2022. Putin said at the meeting that it was important to discuss the situation in the world and Europe with one of the EU countries, although positions do not always coincide. “But having the opportunity to exchange opinions, in my opinion, is always extremely important,” he emphasized.
The Russian President arrived in Beijing on October 17 for a two-day visit, where he will take part in the Third International Forum “One Belt, One Road” on October 18. The Russian leader also held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Vietnam, the President of Mongolia, the Prime Minister of Hungary and the President of Laos.
