Hungarian parliamentary diplomacy and international outreach

Following a change in government in Hungary, Speaker of the National Assembly Ágnes Forsthoffer has engaged in several high-level diplomatic meetings to strengthen international ties.

In early October, a United States congressional delegation led by House Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx met with Forsthoffer in Budapest. The discussions focused on bilateral parliamentary cooperation and addressing domestic priorities such as budget stabilization, energy diversification, and transparent administration. To deepen these relations, Forsthoffer announced plans to establish a Hungarian–US parliamentary friendship group.

By mid-October, Forsthoffer met with Ukrainian Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk in Rome during the Conference of European Parliamentary Speakers. This was the first meeting between the two speakers since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Forsthoffer condemned Russian aggression and reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to humanitarian aid and refugee support, while clarifying that Hungary will not provide military equipment or soldiers. The dialogue also addressed the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia and Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.