(ANSA-AP) - BUDAPEST, 29 OCT - Russian President Vladimir
Putin's visit to Hungary takes him to the country that is the
Kremlin's strongest beachhead in the European Union and NATO,
two groups that generally regard Russia with unease. The focus
of Putin's trip, which begins Wednesday, will be his meeting
with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose disdain for
liberal democracy mirrors Putin's. Orban has fiercely opposed
immigration, including building razor-wire fences to divert
migrants away from his nation, and limited media freedoms. He
has also denounced Hungarian-American philanthropist George
Soros, whom Putin also dislikes. The relationship also has a
strong foundation in economics, especially natural gas. Hungary
has long relied on Russia for most of its gas and that
dependence is likely to increase when Russia's Gazprom state gas
monopoly completes the Turkstream pipeline that runs under the
Black Sea to Turkey, with a branch planned to serve Hungary.
(ANSA-AP).
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