After speaking with Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik by phone on Friday, the foreign minister said the policy of sanctions has failed as it only triggered confrontation in the Western Balkans.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the only way that would offer a real solution is speeding up the European integration of the region. Minister Szijjártó spoke with Dodik, a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in preparation for the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday which will discuss the situation in that country. Minister Szijjártó said on Facebook that he reassured Dodik about Hungary’s commitment towards Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity and towards the observation of international treaties including the Dayton Agreement. Peace and stability in the Western Balkans is Hungary’s fundamental national interest, Minister Szijjártó said. “We have enough tensions in our region, we do not need more,” he said, adding that Hungary would continue to call on the EU to run a dialogue with elected leaders of the Western Balkans instead of threatening them with sanctions.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter