Bertalan Havasi, the Deputy State Secretary heading the Press Office of the Prime Minister, has informed kormany.hu that on Thursday Prime Minister and President of Fidesz Viktor Orbán received István Pásztor, President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.

At the meeting Mr. Pásztor informed the Prime Minister of Serbia’s upcoming presidential election, and the Council of the Alliance’s decision that his party should support the campaign of Aleksandar Vučić, the current prime minister.

With regard to the intentions behind the decision, Mr. Pásztor said that the most important goal is to preserve Serbia’s internal political stability. He pointed out that the only reasonable way to assert the interests of the Hungarian community in Vojvodina is to maintain the coalition agreement of 2016, and to fully implement the plans expressed in it.

Mr. Havasi reported that Mr. Orbán assured Mr. Pásztor of the Hungarian government’s support for his party’s decision.

At the meeting the Prime Minister said that in recent years the economic, educational and cultural development of the constituent parts of the Hungarian nation has begun to improve – as has cooperation between Hungary and Serbia. This process must unquestionably be continued.

According to the press chief’s statement, at their meeting in Budapest Mr. Orbán and Mr. Pásztor agreed that the key to the success of the Prosperitati Foundation – the Hungarian regional and community development organisation in Vojvodina – lies in the trust of the community. Without this the Hungarian government’s three-year support programme would not have been able to reach applicants as effectively as it has done.

Mr. Havasi said that in summary the Prime Minister had noted that the results achieved so far show that, under Mr. Pásztor, the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians is the political embodiment of this trust, and its achievements mean that in the future it will remain a strategic partner for the Hungarian government.

(Press Office of the Prime Minister)