U.S. Congressional Delegation Visits Hungary

The first official US congressional delegation to visit Hungary since the April 12 elections held "open and candid" discussions with the new Hungarian government about its plans and Hungarian-US relations, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the delegation's leader, said in Budapest on Thursday.

The delegation, arriving from the NATO summit in Ankara, met Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, the chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Márton Hajdú and representatives of civil society organisations.

Jeanne Shaheen recalled that on her last visit to Hungary, more than two years ago, no one from the government at the time had been willing to meet the congressional delegation. "It was a great opportunity to see this openness and how frankly they talked to us about their plans and Hungarian-US relations," she said now.

The delegation appreciated Prime Minister Péter Magyar's statement at the NATO summit regarding the war in Ukraine, she added. "We are aware that Russia has historically not been a good friend to Hungary."

Asked about the future of Hungarian-US relations, Senator Shaheen said the United States had a vested interest in cooperating with the new Hungarian government. She noted that, to her knowledge, President Donald Trump and Magyar had met separately in Ankara, and the discussion had taken place in a very positive and pleasant atmosphere. Based on the long-standing ties between the two countries, she was confident that relations would continue to develop positively.

Republican Representative Mike Turner rejected the suggestion that previous Hungarian-US relations had been based primarily on the personal relationship between Presdient Trump and then minister Viktor Orbán. "I do not agree with the basic assumption of your question," he said. The United States and Hungary were bound by long-standing ties, and these would continue into the future, he added.