Kremlin Refuses to Congratulate Hungary's Newly Elected Prime Minister

Istanbul (ANTARA) - The Kremlin has stated that it will not congratulate Peter Magyar, Hungary’s prime minister-elect who prevailed in the parliamentary vote on Sunday (12/4). “We do not send congratulations to unfriendly countries. And Hungary is an unfriendly country; that country supports sanctions against us,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in a statement to the Life news website on Monday (13/4). Peskov added that Moscow has been in dialogue with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is set to step down soon. In an interview with the state news agency Tass, Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has no scheduled talks with Magyar. However, he anticipated that such talks would eventually take place. Peskov emphasised that Russia respects the outcome of the Hungarian elections, which saw Magyar defeat Orban. Magyar’s victory ends Orban’s 16-year leadership. Peskov also stated that Russia remains interested in maintaining good relations with Hungary, as with other European countries, and expressed Moscow’s willingness to engage in dialogue with Budapest. “We hope to continue our contacts with Hungary’s new leadership,” he said. According to data from Hungary’s National Election Office, the Tisza Party led by Magyar won 69.35 percent of the votes and 138 seats after counting 98.94 percent of the votes.