Katalin Novák conducted talks with President of Italy Sergio Mattarella 

The Russian-Ukrainian war was the main topic of the meeting between President of Hungary Katalin Novák and President of Italy Sergio Mattarella in Rome on Tuesday.
" We agreed that by starting the war, Putin crossed the Rubicon. Our shared goal is to stop the war and build peace as soon as possible." – says Katalin Novák’s Facebook post.

At the meeting, Katalin Novák said that the 150 thousand Hungarians in Transcarpathia are 150 thousand reasons to create peace at the earliest possible time. Speaking about Ukraine’s law on minorities, President Mattarella noted that if Ukraine would truly like to join the European Union, it will be important that it resolves the situation of its minorities as soon as possible. 

The meeting also discussed energy challenges. As the President’s Facebook post says: Italy’s situation is more favourable than Hungary’s, but Hungary is also doing its utmost to become independent of Russian energy sources as soon as possible. 

The two Presidents noted that Hungarian-Italian trade relations are getting stronger and stronger. They also talked about how young people could be helped even more efficiently to start a family. The President of Italy also stood up firmly for persecuted Christians, and indicated that Italy intends to launch a programme similar to “Hungary Helps”.

There was strong agreement between the Heads of State on the importance of the EU integration of the Western Balkans at the earliest possible time and on the need to accelerate their accession talks. The EU must not leave the region alone – emphasized Katalin Novák, who invited the Italian President to visit Hungary .

The Hungarian Head of State travelled to Rome at the invitation of Sergio Mattarella, where President Novák had both a one-on-one and a plenary meeting with the President of Italy. On Tuesday, Katalin Novák met with President of the Italian Senate Ignazio La Russa and President of the Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana. On Wednesday, she will meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.