Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that Hungary is keen to speed up Serbia’s accession to the European Union.
During his address to a Hungarian-Serbian business forum in Budapest over the weekend, the prime minister said the Balkan region must be integrated into the European Union.
PM Orbán said that the EU’s target to complete the process by 2025 was achievable. The integration of the Balkan states will shift Europe’s economic centre, from the West to central Europe, he added.
During the talks, the prime minister said that Hungary had good chances to retain its competitiveness through secure energy supplies and competitive energy prices.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that once a full member of the EU, her country “will not wait for subsidies but make efforts to strengthen the community”.
She said that the 2025 target date for Serbia’s accession, as set by the EU, was acceptable and pledged that her country would meet the entry criteria, and highlighted Hungary as “the staunchest supporter” of her country’s EU integration.
Regarding the Budapest-Belgrade railway project, Brnabić said it would be a crucial component in linking the infrastructure of Serbia and Hungary, which she said was also vital in the integration process. She added that further transportation projects were also in the pipeline.