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Italian PM Meloni talks Hungary’s premier Orban out of veto on Ukraine’s EU accession

According to the daily Libero Quotidiano, the Italian and Hungarian politicians arranged a bilateral meeting on the issue before the start of the EU summit

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

© AP Photo/Evan Vucci

ROME, December 16. /TASS/. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni talked out Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban from imposing veto on Ukraine’s EU accession, Italy’s Libero Quotidiano reported on Saturday.

According to the daily, the Italian and Hungarian politicians arranged a bilateral meeting on the issue before the start of the EU summit in Brussels last week.

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said earlier in the day that his country would veto the European Union’s talks on the accession of Ukraine if they are found to be detrimental to Hungarian interests.

"In case Brussels, tries to squeeze in during the preparations for the real talks on the [Ukrainian] accession something that would harm us, we will be forced to resort to the tool of tough veto," Szijjarto said.

Speaking to journalists last Friday ahead of the European Union’s Summit in Brussels on December 14-15 Orban said: "No sense of launching talks today with Ukraine [on EU’s admission]."

Hungary’s Premier Orban stated previously in the month that he objected to including the issue of Ukraine's EU membership on the agenda of the organization’s meeting in Brussels on December 14-15.

Hungary has repeatedly stated its intention to keep channels of communication with Russia open in order to continue looking for ways to resolve the Ukraine crisis, among other things.

Putin and Orban focused on this issue at their meeting in Beijing on the sidelines of the Belt and Road international forum on October 17.

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