President Tamas Sulyok has awarded the Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Budapest.
At the ceremony held in the Sandor Palace on Monday, President Sulyok said: "Often we fail to notice we're living in historic times and that we're capable of historic deeds, as the head of the Serbian state is."
In past centuries, neighbouring countries often made the mistake of using up their energy, knowledge and opportunities against each other rather than "building on each other and becoming stronger and more resilient to crises", he said.
"Today, the wise ones with foresight and a trust in cooperation have the upper hand... We're living in historic times that favour us: not Hungarians or Serbians but rather Hungarians and Serbians," he said.
President Sulyok said Vucic had played a crucial role in the era that came after a "historic peace". "As a sensible leader, he started on the road towards today's exemplary Serbian-Hungarian cooperation ... recognised our shared fate, and turned ties between Hungary and Serbia into a strong alliance with years of hard and persistent work."
He praised Vucic for "supporting a policy for ethnic minorities that is outstanding even in European comparison, as a result of which the situation of Hungarian minorities in Serbia today is exemplary and well-regulated."
In his speech, Vucic emphasised his friendship with the Hungarian nation and said he accepted the honour on behalf of his people.
While he had done much to promote Hungarian-Serbian friendship and a historic peace between the countries, that work was not complete, he added.
He hailed Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as a "friend". "Whenever my country or myself came up against challenges, we met for a friendly handshake, and we could always show this respect, loyalty and allegiance".
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér and Milorad Dodik, the President of the Republika Sprska of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also attended the event.