Hungary and the Russian Federation have signed a detailed 12-point plan aimed at expanding cooperation in key sectors such as energy, trade, education, and culture. Information about this agreement became known through previously undisclosed official documents. The official signing of the document took place at the end of 2025 in Moscow, with the participation of Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Russia’s Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
This is reported by Finway
Essence of the Agreement and Political Reactions
The documents prepared by the Russian government indicate Budapest and Moscow’s desire to strengthen economic, trade, and cultural ties. The agreement outlines areas of cooperation in nuclear fuel, education, and sports. This move demonstrates Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s course towards deepening relations with the eastern partner.
Despite Orban’s repeated emphasis on the importance of cooperation with the Kremlin, his opponent Peter Madyar views such actions as the “Achilles’ heel” of the current government and accuses the administration of “blatant treason” due to its close contacts with Moscow.
“Bilateral cooperation with Hungary is guided by national interests, not by pressure aimed at subjugating extremely biased liberal mainstream media. Keep up the biased work!” Szijjarto responded to questions about the content of the documents and their impact on Hungary’s political trajectory.
Priorities: Energy, Education, and Culture
At a meeting held in December 2025, key areas of bilateral cooperation in energy, industry, healthcare, agriculture, construction, and cultural and humanitarian exchange were discussed. Special attention was given to restoring trade volumes reduced due to EU sanctions against Russia and creating conditions for Russian companies to launch new energy projects in Hungary, particularly in the fields of electricity generation, hydrogen, oil, gas, and nuclear fuel.
The parties also agreed to expand Russian-language education in Hungary, including inviting educators from Russia and launching exchange programs for graduate students. Budapest also supported the continuation of cultural exchange programs, particularly in sports and circus arts, despite concerns about Russian narratives regarding the war in Ukraine. Additionally, an action plan for 2026-2027 regarding partnership in the sports sector was agreed upon.
It is worth noting that in this context, a scandal arose over a video released by the Hungarian side about the cooperation: Sberbank denied the authenticity of the video, emphasizing the use of manipulative subtitles and altered context that did not correspond to the content of the original recording.