House Speaker László Kövér marked the 150th anniversary of the Hungarian-Croatian Compromise at a conference in Budapest on Wednesday.
Kövér was joined by his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Jandrokovic, where it was pointed out that Croatia was part of Hungary’s history.
In his address, the speaker said cooperation is needed more than ever now that “we may be facing a trial more taxing than ever before." He pointed out that the European Union offers the framework for an alliance. “We have to find ways to cooperate if we are to preserve our freedom against the empires … using the region as a parade ground,” he added.
Later, Jandrokovic said that the sovereign states of Hungary and Croatia, from a distance of 150 years, have the possibility to evaluate the compromise objectively. “Hungarian history is part of the Croatian and vice versa,” he said.
The bond between Hungary and Croatia was one of the most enduring alliances, and a significant factor in regional politics, Jandrokovic said. He added that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Zagreb on Monday further boosted bilateral ties.