BUDAPEST, January 19. /TASS/. Hungary’s ruling party plans to continue pragmatic economic and energy cooperation with Russia if it remains in power after the April 12 parliamentary elections, political adviser to the Hungarian prime minister Balazs Orban said in an interview with the Index internet outlet.

When asked what Russia, China, and the United States can expect if Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party wins the upcoming elections, he recalled that the prime minister has been building mutually beneficial relations with these countries for quite some time.

"We maintain pragmatic energy and economic cooperation with Russia. We have established successful technological and economic relations with China and are seeing closer military, political, and economic cooperation with the United States in the global arena," he said.

According to the prime minister’s adviser, it is absolutely clear what Moscow, Beijing, and Washington can expect from Hungary if its current government remains in power: "predictability, sovereign decisions and cooperation based on mutual respect and mutual benefit." On its part, Hungary wants to see "expanded political cooperation and economic ties with the United States, serious economic investments from China and reliable and affordable energy supplies from Russia," he said.

Hungary’s government has repeatedly said that it is ready to develop cooperation with Russia in those sectors that are not affected by Western sanctions. Energy, in particular supplies of oil, gas and fuel for the country’s Paks nuclear power plant, is one such sector. The sides also maintain ties in such sectors as pharmaceuticals, the food industry, and agriculture. Budapest has said that it hopes that the anti-Russian sanctions will be lifted swiftly as soon as the conflict in Ukraine is settled.

The election campaign in Hungary is entering its final stretch. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Alliance party and its smaller arm - Christian Democrats - are going up against the opposition party Tisza led by former government official Peter Magyar, who has the European Union’s backing.

In the previous election in 2022, Fidesz and the Christian Democrats won 135 seats in the 199-seat parliament, which made it possible for Viktor Orban, who has been prime minister since 2010, to retain his position for four more years. He was always previously Hungary's prime minister from 1998-2002. Overall, he is the longest-serving European politician in the post of prime minister. He was nominated as candidate for prime minister again during a Fidesz convention on January 10.

According to opinion polls, Fidesz sees greater support than Tisza and Orban is believed to be better fit for premiership than Magyar. However, political analysts warn that the outcome of the upcoming elections will depend on the parties’ ability to mobilize their supporters to come to the polling stations in April.