Orban sees central Europe gaining strength

Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke about central Europe gaining strength as compared to the German-French axis in Europe, at a meeting of the Hungarian Permanent Conference held behind closed doors in Budapest on Friday. On a recording posted onto the government's website, Orban said the volume and value of German-French trade make up merely half of the one between the Visegrad Group and Germany which he called "an unprecedented development". The prime minister said he had predicted earlier that central Europe, including the Carpathian Basin, would become the engine of Europe's economic growth in the years to come.