OREANDA-NEWS The Hungarian economy has lost about $7 billion due to EU sanctions against Russia. This was stated by Minister of Foreign Affairs and external economic relations of Hungary Péter Szijjártó on Thursday at a meeting with first Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia Nikolai Fedorov.

"The Hungarian economy has lost about $7 billion due to the inability to export to Russia in connection with the EU sanctions," he said.

The Minister expressed hope that during his visit to Moscow, the Russian side will outline its assessment of relations with Europe in the context of existing sanctions.

Szijjarto also said that the Chairman of the state Assembly of Hungary Laszlo Kever intends to visit Russia in the near future.

"The Deputy Prime Minister and the speaker of the Parliament will arrive in the near future. They ask you to meet them, " said Szijjarto, addressing Fyodorov. "We hope that in the near future we will be able to receive Mr Kosachev [Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on international Affairs] in Budapest."

The head of the Hungarian foreign Ministry also said that he will send an official invitation to Fedorov to visit the country: "it is Time that you finally come to us in Budapest, given the fact that our diplomatic and parliamentary contacts are becoming more and more active."

In turn, Fedorov noted the increase in trade turnover between the countries, which in 2018 exceeded $7 billion.

"Surely you remember how we made commitments to our leaders [heads of state] to try to raise the volume of trade to $10 billion a year. According to the Russian customs service, in 2018 the turnover exceeded $7 billion and $10 is not far off," said Fyodorov, referring to Szijjártó.

The Senator noted the special role of the head of the Hungarian foreign Ministry in ensuring economic cooperation between the two countries. "To a large extent, thanks to your attention and your efforts, we have had a positive dynamics in mutual trade turnover," said the first Vice - speaker of the SF.

Fedorov stressed that Russian parliamentarians " with experience watching the situation around Hungary and the so-called European family, and in relations with the United States." He thanked Szijjarto on behalf of the senators for his comments on the statements of us Secretary of state Michael Pompeo.

On February 11, Pompeo, during his visit to Budapest, accused Russia of seeking to split the ranks of NATO allies. In turn, the Minister of foreign Affairs of Hungary called" great hypocrisy " criticism of cooperation between Hungary and Russia from the Western countries, which themselves also interact with Russia in the energy sector.