US President Donald Trump is committed to the success of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban because his leadership is critical to US national interests, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday, giving strong support to the long-serving Hungarian leader who will run in elections in April, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
At a joint news conference with Orban in Budapest, Rubio said that US relations with Hungary are entering a "golden era", but appeared to tie his assessment to Orban remaining in power.
“President Trump is deeply committed to your success, because your success is our success”, said Rubio, standing shoulder to shoulder with Orban. "We want this country to do well. It's in our national interest, especially as long as you're the prime minister and the leader of this country," the US secretary of state added.
Rubio, who is also Trump's national security adviser, is on a two-day tour of Central Europe that includes visits to Slovakia and Hungary, whose conservative leaders have warmed relations with Trump and criticized the EU.
The April 12 parliamentary election is expected to be hotly contested, and Orban will face his most serious test since his Fidesz party came to power in a landslide victory in 2010.
The vote will have serious implications for Europe and for the growing conservative and far-right political movements, Reuters notes.
Orban has long been one of Trump's closest allies in Europe and has often clashed with the EU on various issues, while maintaining warm relations with Russia and criticizes Ukraine.
For many supporters of the far right in the United States, Orban is a model for a tough policy against immigration and support for Christian conservatism, which the American president should also follow.