Hungarian, Austrian presidents confirm dedication to preserving good neighbourly ties

President János Áder and Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen confirmed their respective countries’ dedication to preserving good neighbourly relations at their meeting in Vienna on Friday.

Áder said at a joint press conference that preserving good neighbourly relations also helped mitigate the effects of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

He said Austria was Hungary’s second most important trading partner and the third most important investor in Hungary. He added that great losses were suffered in tourism in both countries as a result of the epidemic, with the majority of hotels “empty” in both Budapest and Vienna.

Áder commented on a government coalition agreement between the Austrian People’s Party and the Greens signed at the beginning of this year which includes Austria’s plans to become climate neutral by 2040, ten years earlier than the European Union target.

Áder welcomed this and said it was an ambitious undertaking but it raised certain questions. He noted that between 1990 and 2018, Austria increased greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent while Hungary decreased emissions by 30 percent. He added that annual emission was 9 tonnes per capita in Austria and 6.5 tonnes in Hungary and added that he would be eager to see Austria’s progress hoping that Hungary could also learn from it.

He said that Austria and Hungary held different opinions regarding the use of nuclear energy in the past several years. Austria considers it undesirable while Hungary believes it indispensable in order to meet the climate targets, he said.

“I can understand Austria’s position but I’ve asked them to also understand the Hungarian position” considering the difference in the natural environment between the two countries, he said. Hungary has less woodland and waters, so it must look for other solutions in order respect environmental considerations and at the same time fulfil the demands of the public and industries, he added.