Hungary and Croatia are allies on a number of strategic issues, see many important challenges in the same light, and are dependent on one another on significant issues. At the same time, their economic cooperation is also close, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Friday in Budapest.

The Minister had talks with Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman. At a joint press conference held after their meeting, the Minister also pointed out that there are, however, issues which “we wish there were not”, and these cast a shadow upon bilateral relations.

He mentioned among shared affairs that the two countries are taking joint action to ensure that there is more emphasis on the protection of the external borders in European migration policy, and additionally both nations reserve the right to decide within national competence whom they let into their territories and whom they wish to live together with. They continue to remain ardent and active supporters of the EU’s enlargement in the Western Balkans. This is an issue that is close to the hearts of both countries because they are geographically nearest to the region, he pointed out. He added that they would like to maintain the important role of cohesion funds in the next EU financial framework.

In the context of enlargement, Mr Szijjártó said it would be beneficial politically, economically and also in terms of security. It would be politically beneficial because the EU would need success stories as recently it has had few. It would be beneficial economically because already today the EU is the number one trade partner of the Western Balkans countries, and with enlargement economic cooperation could become even more effective. At the same time, enlargement would be beneficial in terms of security because the lower South the EU’s defence lines are pushed, the better they can protect themselves against flows of migration, he explained.

He said they have made proposals to Croatia for the improvement of the region’s energy supply and the opening of further border crossing points. He said the security of energy supply has always been an important question in Central Europe, and some progress has been made, but it is too slow. Therefore, Hungary recommends that the countries concerned should open a new chapter in Central Europe’s energy supply, and create an opportunity for genuine diversification.

Mr Szijjártó said to this end it is necessary to connect together the two countries’ gas markets, in the case of the Krk LNG terminal they should engage in joint talks regarding gas procurements, and Croatia should let Hungary into the LNG terminal as a minority stakeholder. This would create the opportunity to genuinely improve the security of energy supply from a different source, via a new route, he said stating his view.

He highlighted that Hungarian companies are successful on the Croatian market; for instance, OTP is now the fourth largest player on the banking market, while Mol announced a refinery project in Rijeka on Thursday. He observed that they will initiate the adoption by the parliaments of the two countries of a decision on a day of Hungarian-Croatian friendship.

Gordan Grlic Radman took the view that Hungarian-Croatian relations are excellent, and both countries provide support for minorities that is exemplary even by world standards. He said the two nations have always shared the same fate. Bilateral cooperation is extremely intensive, and the prime ministers of the two countries recently inaugurated a student residence complex in Eszék (Osijek), he recalled. He added that this event, too, stands as proof of the dedication of the two countries to supporting minorities.

He observed that cross-border cooperation is also successful, the four counties concerned near the border work together effectively. The Croatian minister stressed that his country will take over the EU presidency from January, and therefore at the meeting the parties also consulted with respect to Croatia’s presidency programme. He said it is regrettable that the EU’s enlargement has come to a halt. Croatia will seek to give the process new momentum, and in this it will also count on Hungary, he said. He pointed out that Croatia is taking over the presidency during a period of many challenges, and in the coming six months they will have to tackle a number of problems.

Before the press conference, the parties signed a cooperation agreement on diplomatic training.

(MTI)