April 13 (Reuters) – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico congratulated Hungary’s incoming leader, Peter Magyar, on Monday, offering “intensive cooperation”, while expressing gratitude to outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban after a major election upset nL1N40V01B.
Fico, a key ally who had backed Orban nL1N40U06F before voting started, said Slovakia was ready for the close ties and joint action in protecting energy interests remained a goal.
Veteran nationalist Orban lost power in Sunday’s election after 16 years in office, with Magyar and his upstart centre-right Tisza party winning a comfortable majority of seats in parliament.
“With full respect, I take note of the decision of the citizens of Hungary … and am ready for intensive cooperation with the new Hungarian prime minister, whom I congratulate on the election result,” Fico said in a statement.
Under Fico, who returned to office in 2023, Slovakia has been a close ally of Hungary, with both neighbours maintaining warm ties with Moscow, opposing European Union sanctions and keeping up purchases of Russian oil and gas.
Both have sought to restore Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which has been out of action since late January after damage in Ukraine that Kyiv said was caused by a Russian strike.
Fico said he believed Slovakia, Hungary and central Europe were still interested in resuming its operation, adding that joint action with Hungary in protecting energy interests remained unchanged as a government goal.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said pipeline repairs nL8N40S11K would be completed in spring. Fico and Orban have had tense relations with Zelenskiy despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In a separate statement on Facebook, Fico said Slovak-Hungarian relations have never been at such a high level, and he praised Orban for exemplary cooperation and protection of sovereignty and national interests.
(Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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