Egypt's successful fight against terrorism is a precondition of stability and peace in Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Monday here after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Hungarian news agency MTI reported.
"We look upon Egypt -- with its devotion towards stability -- as a defender of Hungary and Europe, that is why, besides our intellectual friendship, the success of Egypt is also our interest," Orban said.
Heading an Egyptian delegation, al-Sisi arrived in Hungary on Sunday for a two-day visit to hold discussions with Orban and other members of the government.
"The Egyptian people are convinced of the necessity of stability, and they are ready to pay for it," al-Sisi said. "The people are ready to combat terrorism and to undertake important economic measures for the sake of stability."
"It is not the government of Egypt who fights terrorism, but the people of Egypt who reject the ideologies of extremist organizations, as they contradict everything that the people believe in," he specified.
"People accepted strict economic measures that other countries would not have born, because they understand the importance of stability," he underlined.
Orban spoke about the role of Europe and Central Europe in bringing stability to the Egyptian economy, and said he was positive that Hungary and the Visegrad Four -- Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia -- were ready to play that role.
"Within the European Union (EU), our countries will recommend to have more and more high-level meetings between the leaders of the EU and Egypt, where leaders can develop pragmatic economic practice," Orban underlined.
Al-Sisi thanked Hungary for representing Egypt's interests within the EU. He also said that the two parties had addressed international issues such as the situation in Syria, Libya, international migration, and the chances of achieving sustainable peace in the Middle East.

Source: Xinhua