BUDAPEST (Sputnik) — Russia and the European Union must urgently re-establish good relations, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I am confident that it is necessary to re-establish good relations between the European Union and Russia. Hungary strives for finding respective decisions,” Orban said Tuesday.
The Prime Minister said that the Minsk agreement on Ukrainian reconciliation is a good starting point to normalize relations between Russia and the European Union.
"We think that we should have a dialogue. A good starting point to normalize the relations [between Russia and the EU] is the ceasefire agreement signed in Minsk, which pertains to a number of other issues that need to be resolved," Orban said during a joint press conference with Russian President.
Speaking at the same press conference, Putin said that he was optimistic about the implementation of the Minsk agreements on Ukrainian reconciliation signed on February 12 in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.
"[As for the implementation of the Minsk agreements], I am more of an optimist than a pessimist," Putin said.
The Russian president expressed hope that the Ukrainian crisis will be settled peacefully.
"I hope the agreements reached in Minsk will be adhered to by both sides [of the Ukrainian crisis] and we will find a way to settle this grave conflict," Putin said.
