“Hungary is a committed supporter of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared on Monday in Budapest.

In a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade wrote: The Minister held a meeting with the Republic of North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for EU Integration Bujar Osmani.

At the meeting, Mr. Szijjártó told his negotiating partner that Hungary is a committed supporter of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, adding that it is in Hungary’s national economic and national security interests for integration to occur as soon as possible.

Hungary supports a decision on the commencement of accession negotiations with North Macedonia occurring as soon as July, he emphasised.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, there is still significant migration pressure on the Western Balkans, and accordingly assuring political stability is particularly important.

In the interests of protecting North Macedonia’s southern border, Hungary has 30 Hungarian police officers continuously on duty along the Greek-North Macedonian border, the statement reads.

(MTI)