Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Hungary.

Hungary is an important partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally of the United Kingdom, and where there is mutual benefit we work together on shared interests, including on trade, security and defence. As in any bilateral relationship there are differences and where we have concerns, we raise them candidly, including on restrictions on essential freedoms, including respect for and freedoms for the LGBT+ community, and on our differing approaches to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Government maintains regular dialogue with its Hungarian counterparts. The Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Minister Szijjártó in London for bilateral talks in January, and I am also in regular contact with EU Minister János Bóka and Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar, whom I met in London on 19 June.