Polish President Andrzej Duda on Friday flew to Hungary to attend events celebrating his nation’s long-standing friendship with that country.

Polish President Andrzej Duda (left) welcomed by his Hungarian counterpart Janos Ader (right) in downtown Veszprem, 110 km southwest of Budapest, on Friday. Photo: EPA/TAMAS KOVACS

During his two-day visit, the Polish head of state was expected to discuss a mix of regional, European and NATO issues with his Hungarian counterpart Janos Ader.

Duda was on Friday set to take part in celebrations of Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day in the city of Veszprem 110 km southwest of the capital Budapest.

Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day, established by the parliaments of both countries, has been marked alternately in Poland and Hungary since 2007. Last year, events took place in the central Polish city of Piotrków Trybunalski.

Ahead of this year’s observances, Duda’s chief of staff, Krzysztof Szczerski, said that Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day “is a time to emphasise the special bond between the Polish and Hungarian peoples, which has developed over the course of history and is still alive.”

Szczerski also said that Duda’s talks with Hungary’s Ader would focus on a July summit of NATO leaders in Brussels and a June meeting of the alliance's eastern-flank countries in Warsaw.

Other topics on the agenda for the two presidents included a September Three Seas summit in Romania, an initiative aming to boost cooperation among countries between the Black, Baltic and Adriatic Seas, Szczerski said.

Duda and Ader were also expected to discuss a range of European issues, according to Szczerski, including the future shape of the European Union and its next budget.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in December vowed his country would block any move by the European Union to punish Poland over sweeping changes to its judiciary.

In late February, the Hungarian parliament adopted a resolution to support Poland in its dispute with the European Commission over legal changes.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR