site.btaHungary Supports Bulgaria's Bid for OECD Membership, President Sulyok Says

Hungary supports Bulgaria in becoming a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as quickly as possible, said Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok after his meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Monday. Sulyok is visiting Bulgaria at Radev's invitation. Earlier, the two leaders held a private one-on-one meeting at the presidential institution.

“Bulgaria is a very important ally for Hungary, and both I and the entire Hungarian state greatly value President Radev’s friendship. This friendship is felt not only at the highest levels of government but also across public and political relations in every aspect,” Sulyok added.

He noted that Hungary considers the presence of the Bulgarian community within its borders to be of great value. "This national minority acts as a living bridge between the two countries," the Hungarian President pointed out. "We are committed to continuing our support for Bulgarian language education in Hungary, and we also view it as a very positive initiative that Hungarian language classes have now begun in Bulgaria,” Sulyok said.

“In addition to the partnership between our two countries and our strong political ties at a high level, we must also highlight the development of economic, cultural, and tourism relations,” he stated.

“Bulgaria is an exceptional partner in the transit of gas. As Hungary does not have large energy sources, Bulgaria is a particularly reliable and stable partner for us, ensuring the delivery of gas,” Sulyok emphasized.

According to the Hungarian President, a shared goal and commitment is for the countries of the Western Balkans to become members of the European Union. “Last year, during our presidency of the EU Council, we made significant progress towards the accession of Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Moldova to the EU,” Sulyok added.

“War is not a solution to any conflict, whether it concerns the Russia–Ukraine war or the regional conflicts in the Middle East. That is precisely why we believe the initiative of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is very important,” said the Hungarian head of State. “We are extremely proud that Budapest will host the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Sulyok further said.

Last week, Putin and Trump agreed to a second high-level summit on the war, which is expected to take place in Budapest, after their talks in Alaska on August 15 failed to achieve a breakthrough, Reuters reported. The summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may take place within two weeks or slightly later, but many details still need to be resolved before a date can be confirmed, Reuters added.