Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has praised Georgia’s economic performance, describing the country’s 7% growth rate as a “galactic phenomenon” during remarks to his Georgian counterpart Irakli Kobakhidze.

Speaking at the second meeting of the Georgia-Hungary Inter-governmental Commission, Orbán said: “The European economy is suffering greatly now. If anyone has more than 1% economic growth, that is a great achievement. Therefore, your 7% growth is a galactic phenomenon. I know this is truly the greatest result of your efforts.”

The Hungarian PM said it was “a great honour” for his country to cooperate with Georgia, noting that “there are only two or three countries with which we have such friendly relations and cooperate in this format.”

“This format allows us to discuss cooperation issues between various ministries, and it is a sign that not individual ministries, but the entire government collaborates with our government,” Orbán stated.

He described such cooperation as “rare” in Hungarian practice, emphasising his respect for Georgia’s history and Christian heritage.

“It is a great honour to cooperate with you because we both love freedom,” Orbán told Kobakhidze. “Phrases like ‘I love my homeland’ and ‘I am proud of my country’ are already considered shameful in the West and are no longer used, but we still love saying these words and are pleased to host guests who have the same feelings and sentiments towards these phrases.”