True friendship and concrete results of cooperation between Serbia and Hungary

At the joint press conference, Minister Selaković said that Serbia and Hungary would continue cooperation based on mutual understanding and support, to which excellent relations between President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán particularly contributed.

“In the uncertain and not at all easy current circumstances, outspoken willingness and support we provide to each other are of key importance, and for this reason I am especially glad to contribute to our further cooperation by meeting with Minister Szijjártó,” Minister Selaković stated.

He pointed out that close cooperation in all fields and concrete results are the proof of the true friendship of Serbia and Hungary.

Minister Selaković pointed out that on 19 March President Vučić and Prime Minister Orbán attended the commissioning of the first phase of the Belgrade–Budapest railway line, i.e., the high-speed railway line from Belgrade to Novi Sad, expressing confidence that very soon we would attend the opening of the second phase and merging the Serbian and the Hungarian sections of this railway, which would bring our capitals even closer.

Also, Minister Selaković mentioned construction of the Subotica–Szeged railway line, which, as he said, would additionally connect Serbs and Hungarians, as well as the Hungarians on both sides of the border.

Minister Selaković emphasised the importance of the Balkan Stream pipeline, which, as he mentioned, represented one of the main sources of energy supply even in these unstable times and which was the result of serious cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Selaković pointed out excellent economic and trade cooperation which amounted to 1.290 billion euros in the previous year, and especially pointed out that, according to the data for the first two months of the year in course, it amounted to 839.7 million euros, putting Hungary in the second place as Serbia's foreign trade partner.

In addition, Minister Selaković said that Serbia would work on a stronger presence of Serbian companies in Hungary and pointed out that the two countries should engage to ensure joint presence on third markets.

Minister Selaković thanked Prime Minister Orbán and Minister Szijjártó for their consistent, active and very strong support for Serbia's European integration.

“I was present in many European forums where the strongest voice for the benefit of Serbia and in favour of Serbia's European integration was the voice of my friend Peter and the voice of Hungary,” said Selaković, emphasising that such words and strong support could be heard from real and true friends.

“I would like to thank Hungary for its serious attitude and position as regards our main national problem, the problem of Kosovo and Metohija, and for the constructiveness in every situation we have had so far,” Selaković said.

Minister Selaković noted that in the elections on 3 April the citizens of Serbia and Hungary confirmed that they were committed to preserving peace, security, stability, showing in this way the path they wanted their countries to take.

“In our region, Serbia and Hungary are countries which can export political stability and which can positively influence everyone else due to their serious political leadership” Selaković concluded.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó expressed satisfaction with meeting his colleague Nikola Selaković three days after the fateful elections that were held on the same day in Hungary and in Serbia.

“At a fateful moment like this, we produced and recorded historical results both in Serbia and in Hungary. The ruling parties in Hungary have won the record number of votes, a two-thirds majority in the Parliament. The President of Serbia has also won the victory. “I congratulate President Vučić who may start his second term as President of Serbia,” Szijjártó said.

“The election results prove that it was a good decision to represent national interests on both sides of the border. This was made clear to us by our citizens, our voters. It was also clear to us, the ruling parties, that peace and security of citizens were the primary task. The mandate we were given by the citizens obliges us to represent our previous positions even stronger and clearer.

This means that building of historical friendship between Hungarians and Serbs and between Hungary and Serbia continues”, stated Szijjártó.

The Hungarian Minister pointed out that in recent years Serbia and Hungary have done a lot to create a historical friendship between the two peoples and the two countries instead of historical enmity, and that both countries benefited from this friendship.

In listing the joint infrastructure projects of Serbia and Hungary, Minister Szijjártó emphasised that these were all chapters of our cooperation that would become part of a history book when Serbia's integration into the EU was completed, and that Serbia should have already been admitted to the EU.

“It is completely clear that the region needs peace and stability. The only way to achieve it is to admit Serbia to the EU,” Szijjártó concluded.