House Speaker László Kövér said relations between Serbia and Hungary have “undergone spectacular development recently and become an example to the whole of Europe.”
Following talks with Vladimir Orlić, his Serbian counterpart, in Budapest on Monday, Kövér said the talks were aimed at “picking up the threads of cooperation” following the 2022 parliamentary elections in Serbia and Hungary. Hungary is “one of Serbia’s strongest and most faithful supporters in its European accession,” Kövér said, adding that Hungary’s support was “not only rooted in friendship or loyalty but also accords with Hungary’s national interests”. Serbia deserves “fair treatment” in the accession process and “support based on its own merits and achievements made in the process,” Kövér said. Hungary’s ethnic Serbs and Serbia’s Hungarian community are a strong link between the two countries, Kövér said. Concerning economic ties, Kövér noted bilateral trade turnover more than doubled during the past two years. Energy cooperation is “vital” for both countries, he added. Orlić highlighted “friendship based on trust and cooperation” between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, adding that friendship had “elevated ties between the two countries to historical heights”. Orlić said the refurbished Budapest-Belgrade railway line, which he expected to be open in 2-3 years, would “open up a new era in European transport and for Serbia in particular”. He expressed gratitude to Hungary for providing gas storage for Serbia, as well as for its support in Serbia’s EU accession.