Georgia and Hungary Reaffirm Strong Ties and Shared Goals at Joint Summit
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held a joint press conference during the second Georgia-Hungary Intergovernmental Summit, emphasizing deepening ties, shared political values, and support for Georgia's European Union aspirations.
Kobakhidze praised Hungary for its consistent backing of Georgia's EU path, stating, "I want to thank you for supporting Georgia's European path. We have a very clear and ambitious goal - for Georgia to become an EU member state by 2030."
He said that Georgia plans to fulfill 90 percent of its commitments under both the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement by 2028. "Even expert cooperation and your support in any direction are very important for our country," he added.
Kobakhidze also emphasized the importance of unity between the two nations. "We face very similar challenges, and standing together to address these challenges is, of course, crucial. Georgia will always stand where the interests of the Hungarian people lie."
He said the bilateral format, launched two years ago, plays a key role in advancing relations. "This meeting has allowed us to discuss the progress achieved and to jointly outline future plans," Kobakhidze said, noting that discussions included topics such as trade, energy, agriculture, defense, education, and culture.
"Several memoranda were signed today in various fields, and these agreements will contribute to the further development and deepening of relations between our countries," he stated. "We emphasized how important it is not only to have cooperation between governments but also between business sectors."
The Prime Minister also used the opportunity to express criticism toward EU institutions. "We deeply regret the unfair assessments and statements often made about Georgia by the European bureaucracy," Kobakhidze said. He accused some EU-linked institutions of funding extremist groups and interfering in Georgian elections, saying these practices fail to respect Georgia's sovereignty.
"For us, the EU has been a symbol of justice for years, and we want it to remain a symbol of justice in the future," he stated. "We will stubbornly continue moving toward the EU, and we express hope that by the time Georgia is ready to join, this attitude will change."
Kobakhidze thanked Hungary again for standing by Georgia, saying, "If we hear fair assessments and see a fair attitude from anyone, it is from the Hungarian authorities."
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed strong admiration for Georgia's economic performance and political resilience. "Everyone envies Georgia, and we envy your 7% economic growth - my God, what a great achievement, coupled with a decreasing state budget deficit and a decreasing national debt," Orbán said. "Meeting a Prime Minister with such results is a great honor for us."
Orbán said Hungary values opportunities to learn from Georgia's recent progress. "It has been a long time since we had the pleasure of hosting a European delegation - I'm talking about the Georgian delegation. Sharing Georgia's achievements is very important for us because these results represent a huge leap forward."
The Hungarian leader also expressed alignment with Georgia in pushing back against what he called "mainstream liberals" in the EU. "Even today, we have to fight them because the Georgian government is a beast that the EU and Brussels fear to confront. Georgia was the first to resist," Orbán said. "We also want such economic growth, and in time, we will achieve it."
Orbán confirmed that Hungary plans to implement numerous joint projects with Georgia, especially in trade and energy. "Pharmaceutical products are exported to Georgia from us. We are developing cooperation in the energy sector," he said.
He highlighted a regional initiative involving five countries to transmit green electricity from the Caucasus to Hungary and the EU. "Our route will be very strong for economic activity. We will have similar decisions with our Georgian friends in the future," Orbán said, also noting Wizz Air's growing presence in Georgia, with 28 active routes and over $100 million in annual revenue.
Both leaders concluded the summit by reaffirming their commitment to closer political, economic, and strategic cooperation.
