Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó concluded economic and education agreements and held negotiations in the launching of a direct Budapest-Pristina air passenger route during a two-day visit to Kosovo.

In a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Wednesday, Mr. Szijjártó stressed that the agreements reinforce Hungary’s economic position in the Western Balkans and contribute to the strategic national security goal of assuring peace and stability in the Western Balkans.

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The Foreign Minister drew attention to the fact that one of the most important elements of Hungarian foreign policy is facilitating Wester-Balkan stability, because “we know precisely the difference between when there is peace and stability in the Western Balkans and when there isn’t”.

This is why Budapest is supporting the regions EU accession endeavours, the enforcement of agreements concluded as a result of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and the affording of visa-free travel to Kosovan citizens.

The Minister signed two agreements during his visit to Pristina. According to the agreement on a 62 million euro tied aid loan, Hungary will be providing Kosovo with an 18-and-a-half-year loan at zero percent interests to enable Hungarian enterprises to participate in water management projects. “This means that Hungarian companies will be renovating the country’s largest reservoir, Hungarian companies will be regulating Kosovo’s two largest rivers and Hungarian companies will be realising flood protection projects in southern Kosovo”, Mr. Szijjártó explained.

According to the education agreement signed, Hungary will be providing 50 scholarship places for Kosovan students to study at Hungarian universities.

The Foreign Minister visited the Hungarian military’s contingent serving under NATO command as part of the international peace-keeping mission (KFOR). In his speech, Mr. Szijjártó stressed that the largest contingent of Hungarian military personnel serving abroad can be found in Kosovo, with 370 Hungarian soldiers involved in the KFOR. In view of the fact that Portuguese soldiers will be leaving the force in April, Hungary will be taking over command of the tactical-manoeuvring unit, as a result of which Hungarian military participation in Kosovo will become even more significant.

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Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that a Hungarian company, HungaroControl has been has been controlling Kosovo’s upper airspace since 2014, adding that according to the agreements the Hungarian company will continue to manage Kosovan air traffic after the current contract expires in 2019.

On the subject of bilateral trade flow, Mr. Szijjártó drew attention to the fast that trade between the two countries increased by 20 percent during the first nine months of this year, in addition to which more Hungarian agricultural investments have also been made in Kosovo. Furthermore, significant progress has also been made in negotiations concerning the involvement of Hungarian contractors in the construction of a new Kosovan National Stadium, the cost of which is expected to be 55 million euros.

(MTI)