Gulyas: Close cooperation among EU countries 'indispensable'

Although the European Union has been unsuccessful in achieving its goals in recent years, global economic competition makes it crucial for EU member states to strive for the closest possible cooperation, the prime minister's chief of staff said on Tuesday. Addressing a roundtable discussion at the presentation of a book on the future of the EU, Gergely Gulyas said Europe was losing its significance on the global stage, and singled out Germany as "the only state on the continent that can hold its own in the global economy". As regards Hungary's relationship with the EU, Gulyas said it was imperative that the country define itself as a member of the bloc, arguing that there was no alternative to European cooperation.