French President Emmanuel Macron receives Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Elysée Palace this Tuesday evening ahead of forthcoming summits of the European Political Community and the European Union on 7 and 8 November in Budapest.
According to the Elysée Palace, Tuesday's meeting – which takes place in the context of Hungary's current rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union – "provides an opportunity to prepare two summits".
During the working dinner, the two leaders "will also exchange views on the various aspects of bilateral relations, particularly in the fields of energy, defence and transport," the Elysée Palace added.
The French president regularly meets the nationalist Hungarian prime minister – a difficult partner within the EU – before major European meetings.
The two leaders met for a working lunch at the Elysée in June, just before Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
Orban's migration plans
This Tuesday's meeting comes as Orban announced earlier in the day, that migrants seeking asylum must have their applications assessed before being allowed to enter the European Union.
The Hungarian Prime Minister maintains that this model – which is in use in Hungary – is the only one that works against illegal migration.
Hotspots set up in the last safe countries for migrants – for example in Africa – could be a mass solution, Orban said after meeting the Slovak and Serbian leaders at a meeting in Komarno, Slovakia.
Follwoing the summit, Orbán, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico outlined a plan for stricter migration policies they'd like to see adopted by the EU, including more effective deportation measures and greater funding for member countries on the bloc's external borders.
(With newswires)
