Hungary-Lithuania parliamentary ties, the coronavirus pandemic, security policy and the handling of the migration crisis were high on the agenda of talks House Speaker László Kövér had with his Lithuanian counterpart and other officials in Vilnius.
According to information from the Hungarian parliament’s press office, Kövér thanked his negotiating partners for Lithuania’s support for Hungary “against groundless attacks at international forums”. Kövér visited Vilnius at the invitation of Viktorija Cmilyte Nielsen, Lithuania’s parliamentary speaker, and met with President Gitanas Nauseda, Laurynas Kasciunas, head of the Lithuanian-Hungarian Friendship Group in the Lithuanian parliament, Zygimantas Pavilionis, the head of the Lithuanian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, as well as Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite.
During his talks, Kövér noted global challenges such as climate change, illegal migration and the threat posed by the appearance of new viruses, and said that “as the future of our nations, national identity and sovereignty, we must stand up for the values we deem important”. Parties at the talks voiced hope that the two countries could further increase bilateral trade and strengthen their cooperation in areas such as laser technology, tourism and education, said a statement from parliament’s press chief. The Lithuanian president thanked Kövér for Hungary’s assistance to Lithuania’s air space control and contribution to efforts aimed at stemming illegal migration as well as fencing off a hybrid attack at the Lithuania-Belarus border, the statement said. At his talks with the president, Kövér assured Nauseda of Hungary’s solidarity because “when we help you we also protect ourselves, protecting not only our national borders but guarding Europe’s security, too”.
Migration was also in the focus of talks with the interior minister, who thanked Kövér for the political and material assistance in border protection, and said that the migratory situation in Lithuania was now similar to that in Hungary in 2015.
hungarymatters.hu
