Taoiseach to meet Hungarian prime minister in Budapest

Irish Prime Minister Mícheál Martin is set to meet with Hungary's new leader, Péter Magyar, in Budapest. This engagement is part of a series of meetings with European Union leaders in anticipation of Ireland assuming the presidency of the EU Council on July 1.

Magyar, who defeated Viktor Orbán in an April election, campaigned on an anti-corruption platform and pledged to improve Hungary's standing within the EU. He recently reached a political agreement with the European Commission to unfreeze billions of euros in EU funds that had been previously blocked due to concerns over corruption and the rule of law.

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I look forward to meeting Prime Minister Magyar and congratulating him in person on his convincing election victory.

During their meeting, Mr. Martin is expected to outline Ireland's priorities for its EU Council presidency. These include enhancing EU competitiveness and security, and negotiating the bloc's next budget. EU enlargement is also a key Irish objective.

Mr. Magyar has expressed optimism about reaching an agreement with Ukraine regarding the rights of Hungarian minorities. Such an agreement could potentially lead to Hungary lifting its veto on Ukraine's accession talks with the EU. The Taoiseach also plans to visit the Hungarian Parliament and meet with leaders from the Irish-Hungarian community.

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I look forward to discussing how we can further strengthen our connections with the new administration in Budapest.