The stability of the South-East European region is a national security and national economic interest, and Hungary will therefore do everything within its power to support Serbia’s EU accession talks, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said after he had talks with the Serbian minister responsible for EU integration.
Mr Szijjártó highlighted: all intentions on the part of any EU institution or Member State which are aimed at slowing down Serbia’s integration process are unacceptable. As far as Serbia is concerned, all the conditions are satisfied for opening the chapters of the accession talks, he said.
The Foreign Minister said: Hungary calls upon the EU institutions to conclude the accession talks by 2020, at the latest. He also said that there is a sizeable Hungarian community living in Serbia, and despite the fact that the Serbian Progressive Party won the latest elections with such a margin that it required no coalition partners, it invited the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians into a coalition formation, and gave them four positions as secretary of state. Additionally, the winning party also requested the Hungarian party to join them in a coalition in the Vojvodina regional Parliament, despite the fact that it was likewise not in need of a coalition partner at a regional level.
This demonstrates the commitment of the Serbian Government and Prime Minister to the reconciliation of the two nations, he pointed out. He said: if all neighbouring countries had done as much for Hungarian communities as Serbia, the Carpathian Basin would be a happier place today. Mr Szijjártó said: the situation in the Western Balkans gives rise to concern, the stabilisation of the region should be a top European priority, and integration would be the best means to achieve this.
If the region is unstable, „it poses an incredible migration threat” to Hungary as well because Hungary will then be unable to stop a possible flow of immigration, he explained. He added: EU institutions have adopted eight decisions to date which encourage „these people who are undoubtedly in a difficult situation” in the south-eastern neighbourhood of Europe to set out for Europe. „The whole quota system, the distribution scheme” is about this.
The Minister pointed out: Hungary will not let anyone into the territory of Hungary, the Schengen Area and the EU without controls. We are building the fence against those who want to come here „with unfair intentions, by disregarding our laws, sovereignty and borders”, and not against Serbia as it was not the Serbs that wanted to come here in masses, in violation of our rules and borders, he said. He added: a new border crossing station will be opened next year, to be followed by another one later because „we are building border crossing stations for those who want to enter with fair intentions, while we are building fences for those who are coming here with unfair intentions”.
He remarked: at the meeting the two ministers discussed that they will upgrade the common hydrocarbon exploration efforts in the vicinity of the border in order to enhance energy security. Mr Szijjártó said: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will pay a visit to Belgrade on Monday, and the intergovernmental committee concerned with the Budapest-Belgrade railway line will meet next Friday.
Minister of EU integration Jadranka Joksimovic stressed: Hungary has proved that it takes good care of the Western Balkans region, and supports Serbia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. She said: it is important to cooperate and to foster good relations with Hungary also on account of the fact that there is a significant Hungarian national minority living in Serbia, and they are making efforts to fully involve them in Serbian politics.
Serbia is indeed trying hard to improve the Hungarian minority’s situation as this is one of the largest national communities living in the country, and it is to be hoped that other countries, too, will understand that this is the only way to cooperate, she said.
The Serbian Minister said regarding the October referendum: they understand the Hungarian interests which are represented by the Government. In her view, a comprehensive and clear policy is required on the part of the EU in the interest of controlling the external borders in order to remove some of the pressure from the Western Balkans route, thereby also improving the situation of Serbia. Jadranka Joksimovic said: a Hungarian-Serbian government meeting may be held this year – in the autumn as expected –, and „this is the best way to demonstrate” just how ready they are for cooperation.
(MTI, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)
