Hungary’s Orbán lauds Georgia’s growth, blasts EU for fearing its sovereignty

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán praised Georgia’s economic progress and fiercely defended its sovereignty during a joint press conference with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Budapest on June 11, where he described the Georgian government as a “beast” feared by the European Union.

Orbán highlighted Georgia’s strong economic performance, saying the country had become the object of admiration across Europe, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

“Everyone envies Georgia — and so do we. Seven per cent economic growth! That’s a remarkable achievement,” he said, adding that, at the same time, Georgia has managed to reduce both its budget deficit and public debt.

“Your budget deficit is going down, and public debt is decreasing… Meeting a prime minister who has achieved such results is a great honour for us,” Orbán told Kobakhidze.

Orbán stressed that Georgia’s accomplishments deserved recognition and served as an inspiration. “It is very important for us to talk about Georgia’s successes, because these are truly significant steps forward. I am sure it was not easy to achieve this. We Hungarians would be proud of such results.”

Reflecting on recent political history, Orbán recalled 2022, when he said “global liberals” attempted to destabilise both Hungary and Georgia to bring down their respective governments.

“Just imagine what could have happened then. But even today, we still have to fight. Because to them, the Georgian government is a beast that Brussels is afraid to face head-on. It was Georgia that first dared to resist. And that feeling is very familiar to us. We, too, strive for such economic growth — and we believe that our time will surely come.”

Orbán emphasised Hungary’s consistent support for Georgia both bilaterally and within the EU framework, pledging to continue backing Tbilisi on the international stage.

“Hungary firmly defends Georgia’s sovereignty not only in bilateral relations but also within the European Union. We have always considered ourselves your allies and defenders, and we continue to defend Georgia’s interests in all battles for its independence and sovereignty — even when Brussels disagrees.

We are united in our determination to do everything possible to support Georgia on its firm path toward EU membership,” he concluded.