Novi Sad, 4 June - The strategic partnership of the Republic of Serbia and Hungary is based on solid foundations of friendship and respect and both countries are firmly committed to further deepening and strengthening cooperation. This was concluded at today’s meeting of President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly, Juhász Bálint and Ambassador of Hungary to Serbia Magyar Jozsef.
President Juhász and Hungarian Ambassador had talks in the AP Vojvodina Assembly concerning the role and contribution of the Hungarian national community in Vojvodina to this cooperation.
“The Hungarian national community in Vojvodina is a bridge that inextricably connects the two countries. With the understanding and support of the Republic of Serbia, the Vojvodina Hungarians have and use all the opportunities that contribute to the preservation and strengthening of their identity, while Hungary, through economic assistance programmes, provides a powerful impetus to social betterment and the creation of better living conditions,”pointed out President Juhász.
President Juhász and Ambassador Magyar emphasised the great importance and potential of Hungary taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) from 1 July the current year, thereby enabling the Republic of Serbia to surely gain a reliable and committed partner in its EU accession process.
“I am sure that during its presidency, Hungary will make an effort to specify, plan and realise the needs and cross-border projects in the best way, which, with the help of the EU pre-accession funds, can significantly improve the lives of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia and speed up the European integration process,” said Juhász.
President Juhász and Ambassador Magyar devoted a substantial part of the meeting to the consideration of opportunities and initiatives that would contribute to the passability of traffic at the border crossings between the two countries, concluding that that was a topic that was of key importance for the connection of the two countries, both for the economy and for the citizens.
At the meeting, they also discussed the importance of the fact that the Hungarian community, after the held local elections in the Republic of Serbia, would be able to decide and actively participate in the creation of local policies, especially in areas where a higher percentage of persons belonging to the Hungarian community live.
They also talked about important current projects jointly implemented by Serbia and Hungary, such as the construction of the Belgrade-Budapest high-speed railway, as well as the possibilities for even more intensive cross-border cooperation and joint application in cross-border programmes. They concluded together that, in addition to excellent cooperation, there was still a huge potential for strengthening economic ties, connecting businessmen, as well as for improving relations in the field of culture and education.
The meeting in the AP Vojvodina Assembly was also attended by Ester Csalokezi, Consul General of Hungary in Subotica and Szakállas Zsolt, Deputy Secretary General of the AP Vojvodina Assembly.