Szijjarto: Hungary-Russia ties back on track

Hungarian-Russian relations are now back on track after a decline caused by the international sanctions imposed on Moscow, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after a meeting of the Hungary-Russia intergovernmental economic cooperation committee in Budapest. Though western European countries today are still concluding far more lucrative deals with Russia, relations between Budapest and Moscow are fast expanding in line with Hungary's interests, Szijjarto told a press conference. After declining for several years, trade between the countries jumped by 17 percent in the first eight months of 2018, Szijjarto noted. Sanctions against Russia have cost Hungary 7 billion euros in lost exports, but Hungarian companies' activities in Russia may compensate for that, he said.