BUDAPEST, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos paid an official visit here on Friday and met with Hungarian President Janos Ader and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
"Hungary can learn a great many things about the way Colombia tries to make its economy more competitive," Orban said at a joint press event with Santos following their meeting.
Orban recalled that the two countries recently re-opened their respective embassies, and that Hungary was preparing to increase the number of scholarship for Colombian students.
Santos called it a great honor to be the first head of state to visit the re-elected Hungarian prime minister.
He congratulated Hungary on its good economic performance, its high growth rate and its accelerated development that make the country stand out in Europe.
He also urged Orban to persuade Hungarian investors to get to know business opportunities in Colombia and to tighten relations between the countries of the Visegrad Four (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia) and the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru).
After meeting with Orban, Santos met with Hungarian President Ader, who told that the fields of cooperation between the two countries could include water and forest management, agriculture and also the areas of education and culture.
Santos thanked Hungary for its presence via the European Union in the Colombian peace process and he was also grateful for Hungary's support to include Colombia among the OECD countries.
Orban was re-elected as prime minister of Hungary for the fourth time on Thursday, following a victory at the general elections on April 8.
