“After having overcome the virus, there now follows a period of economic protection, and this will be characterised by success stories that will relate to infrastructure development projects and investment projects, and it is to these that the refurbishment of the Szeged-Subotica railway line and its opening in 2022 is linked”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó emphasised on Wednesday in Palić (Palics), near the Hungarian-Serbian border.

“Thanks to the renovation of the railway line, the two cities and the two countries will come closer together, and cooperation will become even more lively”, he added. “Following the modernisation of the railway line, it will be possible to travel from one city to the other in just 40 minutes. Railway traffic between Szeged and Subotica (Szabadka) came to a complete stop in November 2015, before which travel was temporarily suspended for two months because of the setting up of the Hungarian technical border barrier erected to protect against illegal immigrants.

“From Hungary, we see a continuously strengthening and continuously developing Serbia, and we are proud that we Hungarians have also had the opportunity to take part in the work that has significantly contributed to the development and strengthening of Serbia in recent years. We are proud of the performance of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ), and we are proud of the fact that in recent years the VMSZ has had the opportunity to be part of the Serbian government coalition. We are also proud of the fact that the VMSZ played an extremely important part in the historic Hungarian-Serbian reconciliation, and has played a historic role in shaping cooperation between Hungary and Serbia into a success story”, Mr. Szijjártó detailed.

“The connecting link between Hungary and Serbia is made up of the Hungarian national community living here”, he emphasised. “It is thanks to the active role played by the VMSZ that Hungarian-Serbian relations have been transformed into friendship, and it is thanks to the active role played by the VMSZ that we can observe a steep rate of development in Vojvodina, which Hungary will be continuing to support in the upcoming period”, the Minister stated.

At the joint press conference held at Palić railway station, top of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians’ national electoral list and candidate for mayor Bálint Pásztor drew attention to the fact that the greatest beneficiaries of the now excellent relationship between Hungary and Serbia are Vojvodina Hungarians. “Our future goal must be to ensure that Subotica is once again a Central European city, like it was in past centuries”, he declared.

(MTI/Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)