MKI Perspective – Written by Julianna Ármás, Anna Orosz and Cintia Viola
Albanian-Hungarian relations are generally underestimated, even though high-level meetings between the two countries have been frequent since the change of regime. In addition to meetings at ministerial level, there have been 16 visits of heads of state and government between the two sides in the last 32 years. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s visit to Budapest on 11 October marks the 10th bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and an Albanian head of government, an all-time high in the history of Albanian–Hungarian diplomatic relations. Over the last few years, annual political meetings at the highest level have become a regular feature, and the Budapest–Tirana axis has been balanced since the beginning. One reason for this is the historical past, which still defines the relations between the two countries.