“Croatia is the only country from among Hungary’s seven neighbours with relation to which we are able to keep all border crossing points open to commuters, and we are also preparing to open new crossing points in future”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced on Friday at the Letenye-Muracsány (Gorican) border crossing point following a meeting with his Croatian counterpart.

With relation to his talks with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, Mr. Szijjártó mentioned that the parties had already agreed in late March that people living within a 30-kilometre zone along the border will be able to cross the border for the purposes of work. “Following the end of the coronavirus epidemic, we would also like to open new border crossing points, and accordingly the M6 motorway will be completed up to the Hungarian-Croatian border by 2023, and the infrastructure for two new border crossing points at Zákány and Sárok is already in preparation”, he added. “The two countries have provided mutual assistance to each other in bringing home citizens who have been stranded abroad because of the pandemic; Hungary has helped 16 Croatian citizens to return home, and Croatia has assisted in the bringing home of 64 Hungarians. Hungary has also donated 100 thousand face masks and 5 thousand sets of personal protective clothing towards Croatian healthcare protection efforts, and has helped a hospital in Osijek (Eszék) prepare for protecting against the virus”, the Minister told the press.

“We have a mutual interest in each other’s success with relation to both combatting the epidemic and rebooting the economy, in view of the fact that the largest Hungarian enterprises are also playing an important economic role in Croatia”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised. “Hungary’s largest corporation, MOL, recently decided to modernise one of Croatia’s oil refineries with a record investment of 183 billion forints (EUR 512 million), and Hungary’s largest bank, OTP, now has the fourth largest share of the Croatian banking market. Last year, bilateral trade flow between the two countries achieved a new record of over 2.6 billion euros. In the interests of enabling relations between Hungarian and Croatian enterprises to remain smooth in the period following the pandemic, Hungary’s Eximbank has opened a 180-million-euro credit line to finance cooperation between the two countries’ enterprises”, the Hungarian Foreign Minister listed.

He also highlighted the fact that cooperation is also exemplary with relation to minorities, and Hungarians living on the other side of the border can continue to count on their mother country. “Over 3 billion forints (EUR 8.4 million) in investments have already been realised within the framework of the Drávaszög Economic Development Program, and we would like to continue this program in future”, the Minister said. “Croatia is the current holder of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which it took over during a period filled with major challenges. We share the same opinion with relation to many of the dilemmas facing the European Union; we have a similar opinion with relation to the importance of Western Balkan enlargement, continued action against illegal migration, and maintaining the current level of cohesion funding”, Mr. Szijjártó indicated.

He highlighted the fact that “despite pressure from the international liberal mainstream, Croatia has not joined the chorus that has been continuously attacking and stigmatising Hungary in recent weeks and months”. “It is difficult to withstand this pressure, because those who do so also become the target of attacks, but in recent weeks we have seen major solidarity from Croatia, which has not joined the unfounded and deceitful attacks against Hungary”, he stated.

Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman pointed out the centuries-old friendship between the two countries and recalled Hungary’s support for Croatia with relation to its independence and late accession to the European Union. He also thanked Hungary for its assistance towards combatting the current epidemic and with relation to the earthquake that hit Zagreb a few weeks ago. He explained that the easing of border restrictions relating to the coronavirus pandemic are affecting around a hundred thousand people in the Letenye (Letinja) area. “It is very important for winemakers in the Muraköz (Međimurje) region to be able to tend their land and vineyards, and for Hungarians working in Croatia to be able to perform their work, in addition to which this also indicates within the EU that our borders are open”, Gordan Grlić Radman said.

The head of the Croatian Foreign Ministry, who was Croatia’s Ambassador to Budapest until 2017, also mentioned the exemplary minority relations between the two countries, pointing out that the some 50 thousand Croatians living in Hungary and the Hungarian minority living in Croatia enjoy the exact same rights. In closing, Mr. Grlić Radman also spoke about the fact that the EU’s tourism ministers will be holding a video conference on 27 April to discuss measures relating to the upcoming tourist season. “We will see what the solution will be within the framework of joint European policy, taking into account the epidemiological situation (…) but we believe that life must win the day, and win it will”, he declared.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)