Orbán meets with Egypt's El-Sisi in Budapest
President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán
MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Vivien Cher Benko
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Budapest on Wednesday, according to a report by state news wire MTI.
At a joint press conference after the meeting, Orbán said the security of Berlin, Paris and Brussels "starts on the Serbian-Hungarian border" and "in a broader context" on the land and sea borders of Egypt.
"We acknowledge with the greatest degree of respect the fact that, since 2016, ships carrying migrants have not been able to leave Egypt's territory, which has contributed in great part to our own security and to that of all of Europe," he added.
Orbán thanked El-Sisi for offering Hungarian businesses the opportunity to participate in Egypt's economic development. He added that both countries seek chances to deepen their cooperation.
Hungary's PM acknowledged Egypt's marked development in recent years and welcomed the involvement of Hungary's economy in developments in the country in the coming decade.
He said the sides agreed to designate commissioners to make recommendations on which projects could be implemented in which areas. He added that some areas for cooperation have already been identified, such as the farm sector.
Hungary's agricultural sector enjoys a "great reputation" in Egypt, he said, adding that joint projects in livestock farming, grain growing, and seed production are being weighed both bilaterally and in the framework of cooperation with the Visegrád Group: Hungary, Czechia, Poland, and Slovakia.
He noted that Hungary has exported more than 7,000 cattle to Egypt this year.
Orbán mentioned a big order companies in Hungary and Russia are filling for the delivery of railway carriages to Egypt. He said there are plans to set up a maintenance base and production unit related to the order in Egypt.
The PM also noted that a recently inaugurated interconnector between the gas networks of Hungary and Serbia could provide a delivery route for LNG from Egypt to Europe.
He said the number of scholarships offered to young Egyptians to study at Hungarian universities would be raised to 115, in light of the 700 applications received for the spots this year.
El-Sisi said Orbán "sees and understands well" the affairs of Egypt and acknowledged Hungary's "continuous backing" of the country.
He said the talks on Wednesday were "positive", adding that the sides agreed to step up cooperation in the farming sector and to give impetus to partnerships in tourism and various areas of industry.
El-Sisi called Orbán a "great leader" and invited him to Egypt for the inauguration of the New Administrative Capital.
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