Citizens of the two countries can cross the Hungarian-Slovenian border without restrictions from Thursday afternoon.

Following talks between Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó at the Hosszúfalu (Dolga Vas)-Rédics border crossing station on Thursday, the parties held a joint press conference to announce that beginning that afternoon, citizens from both countries will be able to cross the frontier between the two countries without having to go into quarantine or suffer other restrictions.

Mr. Szijjártó said: “The global pandemic has shown us the high level of interdependence in which nations live here in Central Europe, including the Slovenians and the Hungarians. During this difficult period, the two countries have reinforced their friendship, strategic alliance and cooperation. The two countries have also helped each other in protecting against the coronavirus; Slovenia has enabled 73 Hungarian citizens to travel home via its territory, and Hungary has helped 34 Slovenian citizens to return home safely”.
“Hungary has sent protective equipment to both the Slovenian government and the hospital in Murska Sobota (Muraszombat), and has been able to conclude a contract for the acquisition of over 200 respirators via a Slovenian mediator”, the Hungarian Foreign Minister told reporters.

Protection against the global pandemic has been successful in both countries, and this has created the opportunity to “take careful steps towards returning to normality”, he indicated.

“The restrictive measures introduced along the border also played an important role in protecting against the global pandemic, but in view of the fact that both countries have succeeded in keeping the number of infected persons at a low level, the reopening of the border has now become possible”, Mr. Szijjártó explained.

“There are currently four border crossing points open between the two countries: the motorway and main road border crossing points at Tornyiszentmiklós, and the border crossing points at Rédics and Bajánsenye. A fifth will be opened on Tuesday at Kétvölgy, which is more important to the Slovenian national community living in Hungary”, the Minister indicated. “Following a period of closure, the time has finally arrived for a period of connection”, and energy links between the two countries are also being developed, as a result of which next year we will finally be connecting the high voltage electricity networks of Hungary and Slovenia”, he continued.
“There will also be a major, joint event: the next U21 football European Championship will be jointly organised by Slovenia and Hungary”, the Minister told the press. “Making the borders permeable is also important from an economic perspective in view of the fact that some of Hungary’s largest corporations, including OTP bank and energy company MOL, play an important role on the Slovenian market, and trade flow between the two countries exceeded 2.5 billion euros last year”, he emphasised.

Mr. Szijjártó also spoke about the fact that a “new world order” is coming about as a result of the global pandemic, in which new dilemmas are arising, and these are causing new disputes. “However, both the Slovenian and Hungarian governments can be sure that they have an ally on the other side of the border”, he declared. “The two countries share the same position with relation to the new global economic system, whether with regard to the fight against illegal migration, European Union enlargement, or maintaining at least the current level of cohesion funding during the European Union’s next multiannual financial framework” he explained.

Anže Logar spoke about the fact that the reopening of the border between the two countries means “the end of an important episode in our lives” that has prevented the “free flow” of people. He added that major steps forward have also been achieved within diplomacy, and amongst others the parties also discussed the situation of the Hungarian minority living in Slovenia.
In reply to a question, Mr. Szijjártó told reporters that Hungary is only easing restrictions with relation to the permeability of its borders if that does not lead to a worsening of the virus situation. “The easing of restrictions will mean an increase in the number of contacts between people, and accordingly we must wait and see what effect this may have on the infection data. We have an interest in life returning to normal, but our primary consideration remains the protection of human health”, he declared.

In reply to a question from Hungarian news agency MTI concerning whether the opening of the Slovenian-Hungarian border will mean the elimination of the temporary monitoring point established along the M70 motorway, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: “The National Chief of Police will be deciding with relation to this technical issue. These internal monitoring points primarily enable the supervision of freight traffic, and such monitoring must be maintained”.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)