Trump to host Hungary's Orban at White House on May 13

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Europe

U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House on May 13, where they will discuss trade, energy, and national security, the White House said on Tuesday.

"President Donald J. Trump will welcome Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary to the White House on May 13, 2019," the White House said in a statement.

"Recognizing the longstanding ties between the United States and Hungary, the president and the prime minister will discuss ways to deepen cooperation on a range of issues, including trade, energy, and cyber security," it added.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, July 20, 2018. /VCG Photo

Orban, a nationalist leader who has often clashed with the European Union over his anti-immigration campaigns and judicial reforms, became the first national leader in the EU to endorse Trump in the U.S. election campaign in July 2016.

The Hungarian prime minister clashed with the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama over what critics said was an erosion of democratic values by his government.

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) shakes hand with Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto after their joint press conference in Budapest, Hungary, February 11, 2019. /VCG Photo

Orban announced last Thursday that he was going to visit Washington at the invitation of Trump.

"Today all I can say is that they have invited us and we have accepted the invitation," Orban said during a joint press conference with Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Hungary in February.

(With inputs from AFP, Reuters)

(Cover: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivers his state of the nation speech in Budapest, Hungary, February 10, 2019. /VCG Photo)

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