Bertalan Havasi, Head of the Press Office of the Prime Minister, informed kormany.hu that Cuban human rights activist Óscar Elías Biscet, the politician behind the Emilia Project – one of the Cuban democratic opposition’s most important initiatives – visited Hungary at the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
He added that between 1999 and 2011 Mr. Biscet was held in prison by the communist regime, during which time Mr. Orbán was one of his supporters. In 2007 he became his personal patron, nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.
According to Mr. Havasi, Mr. Orbán and Mr. Biscet agreed at their meeting in Budapest that Fidesz and the Cuban opposition movement are united in their struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights, and they will intensify their cooperation in the interest of creating these values in Cuba and sharing the experiences of the fall of communism. They both welcomed the lifting of the international sanctions on Cuba.
The press chief said that the meeting was also attended by József Szájer, Vice-Chair of the Group of the European People’s Party, Zsolt Németh, head of Fidesz’s foreign affairs cabinet, and former foreign minister János Martonyi.