Hungarian foreign minister unofficially visits Prague, meets with Babiš

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó paid a private visit to Prague on Thursday, meeting with, among others, Andrej Babiš, the leader of the opposition ANO movement and former prime minister, as reported by the Deník N server. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not officially informed about the Hungarian minister's programme in Prague, and the Hungarian embassy did not comment on it. In their statements on Mr. Szijjártó's unannounced visit, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský agreed that Hungary does not want good relations with Czechia.

According to Hungarian diplomacy, Mr. Szijjártó's trip was private, although the minister was given police protection and a motorcade and arrived with a large team, including two photographers. Mr. Szijjártó himself confirmed to Deník N the meeting with Mr. Babiš and with former Minister of Industry, Trade and Transport Karel Havlíček, and stated that Hungary hopes that “we can count on Prime Minister Babiš and Minister Havlíček in the future, in the sense that relations will be as good as they were”.