Brussels, 21/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Hungary is “well prepared” for holding its first-ever rotating presidency of the EU Council as of 1 January 2011, the permanent president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said after meeting Hungary's prime minister, Victor Orban, in Budapest on 21 December. “I am back to Brussels with an excellent impression - you are well prepared to deal with this task (…). My intention is to work closely with the Hungarian Presidency of the Council, formally and informally”, Van Rompuy said. “Of course”, he went on, the Hungarian Presidency will pay special attention to adopting legislation on economic governance “which needs to be formalised by summer”. It will also be responsible for managing implementation of the first “European semester”, Van Rompuy pointed out. He commented that membership talks with Croatia, that the Hungarian Presidency hopes to finalise by June at the latest, “are progressing in a promising manner”. The president of the European Council also undertook to support another Hungarian priority - that of adopting EU strategy for the Danube region. “I told Prime Minister Orban we will work together for the success of the environmental, economic and social challenges of the region”, he commented, saying this first European presidency is certainly a challenge for Hungary but also gives the country an opportunity to introduce itself to the EU. (H.B./transl.jl)