TBILISI, October 29. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, currently visiting Tbilisi, expressed his firm belief that Georgia will become a member of the European Union (EU) and pledged Hungary's support for the country's European integration.

"I am fully confident that Georgia will be accepted into the EU. The Georgian people have made a choice in favor of Europe," Orban stated, emphasizing that Georgia "can count on strategic assistance" from Hungary.

The prime minister also highlighted the importance of Georgian-Hungarian cooperation in various sectors, including joint projects in the energy field.

Hungary has consistently supported Georgia's efforts to join the EU in recent years. However, relations between Georgia and both the EU and the US became strained this past spring when the ruling Georgian Dream party introduced the bill on Transparency of Foreign Influence in parliament. The majority of MPs supported the draft. In response, Washington and Brussels urged Tbilisi not to pass the law, but the Georgian government and parliament did not yield to this pressure. Following the law's enactment, the EU suspended negotiations with Georgia regarding its accession to the organization.