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Minister Szijjártó praised by Serbia as he builds relations and pushes for EU integration

Minister Szijjártó also highlighted Serbia’s support for the government’s local economic development program in Sombor, which will be implemented in cooperation with Serbia’s ethnic Hungarian VMSZ party

Serbia’s foreign minister has said that the greatest Serb of international relations is Peter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister.

"In difficult moments he defends Serbia so loudly, so strongly and courageously; maybe the others think the same like him, but in that case they should speak out,” Ivica Dacic said.

Dacic made the comment after both he and Minister Szijjártó inaugurated a border crossing on the Hungarian-Serbian border yesterday.

The Serbian foreign minister thanked Hungary for its support of the Serbian EU integration process. Dacic said the Hungarian foreign minister "absolutely righteously sees Serbia as the next member state".

"Hungary fundamentally understands the Serbian effort in joining the bloc,” he added.

Meanwhile, Minister Szijjártó addressed the contract signing of the Hungarian government’s local economic development program in Sombor (Zombor).

Minister Szijjártó highlighted Serbia’s support for the program, which will be implemented in cooperation with Serbia’s ethnic Hungarian VMSZ party.

The minister said Hungarian communities should be helped to strengthen in their own homelands, while strong communities would withstand assimilation and build closer ties with their motherland.

Contracts were signed with 197 bidders for grants between 15 million and 150 million HUF (48,000-480,000 EUR) each, totalling 4.2 billion HUF (13.4 million EUR) to facilitate investments of 12 billion HUF.

Most of the grants are aimed at purchasing machinery or increasing the livestock of farms.