“The French and the Hungarians are two freedom-loving nations which did not give up their independence, sovereignty and freedom handed down to them by their forefathers as their inheritance even in the shadow of the greatest trials,” Mr Orbán wrote.

He expressed his conviction that “our cooperation resting on the foundations of common values will grow in significance, in particular in these present challenging times when the advancement of our wider homeland – Europe – is at stake”.

In this spirit, the Hungarian Prime Minister reassured the French head of state that France can continue to rely on the support of the Hungarian people – in the spirit of mutual respect – in the alleviation of the losses caused by the coronavirus epidemic and the realisation of joint European objectives, the press chief said.