China and the US may benefit from the continuation of the war in Ukraine, but Europe definitely will not, Baláš Orbán, political director in the office of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said at a meeting of the Visegrad Group (V4) on Monday. in the capital of Slovakia.

The combination of inflation, the energy crisis and unemployment can push Central Europe into a spiral of economic decline, Balazs Orbán estimated, reports the Hungarian agency MTI with reference to Agerpres.

Hungary’s position is to focus on maintaining peace and achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible, he said, noting that while other governments may focus on other factors at the moment, cooperation towards the strategic necessity of a ceasefire will not undermine Visegrad’s cohesion group, but strengthen it.

Central Europe’s success depends on its economic achievements, and the region is taken seriously precisely because of its economic performance, a Hungarian official said.

He also emphasized the importance of military defense on the eastern flank of the V4, speaking in favor of strengthening the military potential of the four countries (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia).

Hungary wants to close the gap between Central and Western Europe, but this goal has been compromised by current events

A Hungarian official said Hungary wants to attract manufacturing and research capacity to close the gap between Central and Western Europe in the next decade, and energy-intensive sectors are key to achieving that goal, otherwise without cheap energy the region could fall behind technologically. .

Central Europe has the means to catch up with the West and overtake Southern Europe, but that goal has been compromised by current events, Orbán said.

States should not switch from one energy dependence to another, but look for new sources of cheap energy, even during the transition to green alternatives, the Hungarian official added, warning that if Europe’s role on the world stage declines, the “Brussels bureaucracy” may make a choice in favor increasing centralization efforts, and “Central Europe must be able to resist such efforts against its own interests.”

• Read also: Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary: It is time for countries to cooperate to achieve peace

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