David Cameron has continued his diplomatic push to renegotiate Britain's EU membership terms with a visit to Hungary for talks with counterpart Viktor Orbán.
At a joint press conference in Budapest on Thursday, the two Prime Ministers made it clear that there was plenty of common ground between them.
Both leaders stressed the need to boost the EU's competitiveness and enhance the role of national parliaments in decision making.
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Orban also pleased Cameron by saying he recognised that the UK's non-contributory welfare system put the country in a different position from most other EU member states, where entitlements are based on how much people have paid in.
"The abuses that are seen in social benefits systems have to be eliminated," said Orbán, adding, "I made clear that the Hungarian government does not support any abuses at all."
The Hungarian premier suggested that the influential Visegrad group of countries, which includes the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia as well as Hungary - were likely to take a collective position on the UK's demands for limits on benefit entitlements for newcomers.
Although he avoided commenting directly on the British proposal for a four-year ban on migrants claiming in-work benefits, Orbán said he was "sure" Cameron's concerns could be accommodated.
While underlining that he would not sign off on any "discriminatory" measures, he added: "I think we will be able to agree. I am sure we are going to be able to find a solution that is going to be suitable for Hungarian employees."
Orbán's apparent optimism over an agreement did not stop him delivering a stinging rebuke over the way his countrymen were being portrayed.
He insisted that the estimated 55,000 Hungarians working in the UK were contributing more in taxes than they took in benefits.
"We would like to make it quite clear that we are not migrants to the UK," he said.
"We are members of a state in the EU that can take jobs anywhere in the EU. We do not want to be parasites, we want to work there."
Cameron said he had been encouraged by the detailed discussions with Orbán, but warned that there was now "limited time" to finalise a deal before next month's European Council summit.
However he stressed that this was not a firm deadline, as Britain's in-out referendum does not have to take place until the end of 2017, and said he remained hopeful a package could be ready for the Brussels gathering on February 18 - which would mean the Brexit vote could take place in June.
"I think we have made good progress right across the EU on all these issues," Cameron said.
"I am confident we can reach agreement because there is a bigger picture here as well, which is the importance of Britain remaining in a reformed EU, but also for Europe. We bring a lot to the EU as well as benefiting from the EU."