Hungary, Russia signed 12-point plan for closer ties

Hungary and Russia quietly signed a 12-point plan to deepen ties across energy, trade and cultural sectors, Politico reported Wednesday.

Citing previously unreported Russian government documents, Politico said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko signed the agreement after a meeting in Moscow in December.

The agreement aims to expand cooperation in sectors including energy and opens the door for Russian firms to launch new electricity and hydrogen projects in Hungary, according to the report.

It also reportedly proposes increasing Russian language education in Hungary, as well as expanding education and cultural exchange programs.

One document said Russia and Hungary "addressed current issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, joint activities in the energy sector, industry, health care, agriculture, construction and other areas of mutual interest, as well as in the cultural and humanitarian sphere," Politico added.

When asked about the documents, Szijjarto told Politico: "Hungary's bilateral cooperation is guided by national interest, not by any pressure to conform to the extremely biased liberal mainstream media."

The report comes days ahead of Sunday's general election in Hungary.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's main challenger, Peter Magyar, has accused the administration of "outright treason" over its ties to Moscow.