German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited Budapest, Hungary on Monday (September 14) in what marks the first official visit by a German foreign minister to Hungary in nearly 7 years. This visit is seen by both sides as a turning point in restarting German-Hungarian relations following the resignation of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
According to Daily News Hungary, Wadephul is scheduled to meet with Hungarian President András Baka, Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, Minister of Economics István Kapitány, and representatives from German-Hungarian business community during his visit to Budapest.
The German Foreign Ministry described this visit as a significant opportunity to kickstart a “new chapter” in bilateral relations. Berlin officials see the change in Budapest’s government as creating space for renewed political and economic cooperation, with discussions expected to focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and European security.
Wadephul acknowledged that while there are still many gaps to bridge between the two countries, the recent political changes in Hungary have allowed for the relationship to “quickly return to a basis of mutual trust and reliability.”
This marks the first official visit to Budapest by a German foreign minister since November 4, 2019. Back then, Heiko Maas visited Budapest to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the transformations in Eastern Europe, while emphasizing Hungary’s role in the events of 1989.