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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Excellent relations, mutual respect between Serbia, Hungary

Subotica, 15 April 2019

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said today in Subotica, following a joint session of the governments of Serbia and Hungary, that at this meeting it was concluded that it is the right time for the two countries to start working on a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, Brnabic said that if anyone has to have a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, that is certainly Serbia and Hungary.

She expressed her great gratitude to Hungary on its strong and continuous support to Serbia's European integration, on a balanced position on the issue of Kosovo-Metohija, as well as on its attitude towards the Serbian national minority in that country.

The Prime Minister thanked Orban for Hungary’s great contribution to the preservation of the Serbian cultural heritage in that country and the promotion of the rights and freedoms of the Serbian national minority and pointed out that the representatives of the Serbs in Hungary said that they could say only the best about what the local government is doing for them.

Last year, the Serbian national minority received an additional €3.2 million for programmes supporting the preservation of the Serbian language, schools, churches and cultural and historical heritage.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that there is excellent cooperation between the state of Serbia and the National Council of the Hungarian National Minority.

This is one more indicator about how good neighbourly relations and mutual respect should look like.

Thank you Hungary for your support and an honest attitude and great friendship with Serbia, Brnabic said.

She stated that Serbia started preparations for the construction of a section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline through our country, and announced that construction licences for the first two sections will be issued by the end of the month and will be followed by an official opening of works.

Speaking about the importance of investing in Serbia, the Prime Minister pointed out that the government's priority is economic growth, job creation and the possibility of choosing a job for the citizens of Serbia, which in turn affects the increase in salaries and a better standard of living for citizens.

Brnabic said that Hungarian investments in Serbia are a very important element of our economy, adding that the country is also negotiating new investments, especially in the agriculture and food industry.

The Prime Minister, answering journalists' questions, stressed that a single European migration policy is needed, pointing out that Serbia has shown that it is a reliable and predictable partner in that regard as well.

The Prime Minister stated that there are currently 3,500 migrants in Serbia, with the remark that our country is not their final destination for now.

Orban emphasised that during today's joint session in Subotica, they discussed the opening of new border crossings and further economic cooperation.

He reminded that the train journey from Belgrade to Budapest now lasts eight hours, and that the goal is to invest in railways and border crossings so that the journey between the two capitals is shorter.

The Hungarian Prime Minister said that he was amazed when he saw the speed of Serbia towards a reduced state debt and the current situation in its budget.

We like to work with Serbia because we always learn something new from you that we can apply at home, Orban said, urging the Serbian government to come to Hungary to discuss future plans.

He reiterated the hope that Serbia will soon join the EU because it is in the interest of all, and stressed that people in Hungary and Serbia are interested in political stability.