Hungary President: We and EU Need Serbia as Full Member ASAP

The Serbian and Hungarian heads of state held a summit in Belgrade. At the joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok stressed that it was high time to deliver on the promise made to the Western Balkans twenty years ago.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (left) in talks with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok (right) in Belgrade (Photo: Sandor Csudai)

As part of his visit to Serbia, Tamas Sulyok also went to Belgrade. The capital of the Balkan country was already set to receive the Hungarian president on Sunday evening, with multiple locations in the city flying Hungarian flags.

President Tamas Sulyok shared on social media a photo of the giant Hungarian flag affixed to one of the high-rises in Belgrade.

Hungarians in Belgrade,

 the post read.

Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok (left) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (right) in Belgrade (Photo: Sandor Csudai)

On Monday morning, Aleksandar Vucic received the president of the Republic of Hungary with military honors.

At their press conference, Tamas Sulyok noted, 

there is a Hungarian proverb that says that luck brings good friends, but necessity is the true test of good friends. Well, luck did not bring Hungarian-Serbian friendship, we chose it ourselves and have worked for it over the centuries.

Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok (left) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (right) in Belgrade (Photo: Sandor Csudai)

The president of the Hungarian republic added, "necessity has, however,  put and continues to put our relationship to the test, but I am proud to say that our friendship is proving to be enduring."
Upon taking office, after visiting the Holy See in Rome and then to Vienna, his third official trip was to Belgrade. "We see Serbia not only as a strategic partner, but also as a true friend," he said.
"For both Hungary and the EU, it is crucial that Serbia becomes a full member of the European Union as soon as possible. Without Serbia's accession, the Balkans cannot be stabilized," he stated, stressing

Therefore, Hungary will provide all political and professional assistance for the accession process to finish as soon as possible. I believe it is time to deliver on the promise made to the Western Balkans twenty years ago.

"The challenges facing the region today impact and are common to us all. Therefore, they can only be tackled together. Serbia and Hungary set an example for this as our cooperation has produced many concrete results in both the economic and cultural fields," the president explained.

There is no Hungarian energy security without Serbia, just as there is no Serbian energy security without Hungary. We depend on each other,

 Tamas Sulyok pointed out.
Serbia is a reliable partner and transit country, so there is a potential to increase the volume of natural gas supplies to the south, not to mention the potential of the planned new oil pipeline.

Cooperation in the area of rail transport is also excellent. I congratulate our Serbian partners on completing [their portion of] the Budapest-Belgrade railway line ahead of schedule this year. We will also soon complete the laying of the rails on our southern section, enabling traffic to flow on the Hungarian section as well starting in 2026,

he added.

President Sulyok also spoke of the importance of making trans-border traffic between the two countries as seamless as possible, so they will do everything in their power to speed up border checks, including the opening of new border crossings if necessary, as the national minorities in both countries are a central focus in bilateral relations.

He added that the situation of the Hungarian community in Serbia is exemplary and orderly, for which we Hungarians are grateful to the president and the Serbian people. The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ/SVM) is an active and inescapable factor in the Hungarian-Serbian relations.

Thanks to this, Vojvodina Hungarians have been respected in Serbia for years, both collectively and individually, and their acquired rights have not been impaired. We Hungarians are also striving to give Serbs living in Hungary every right and opportunity, he said.

Tamas Sulyok expressed his gratitude that President Aleksandar Vucic lends support to initiatives that improve the everyday life of Hungarians in Serbia and increase their social prestige.

Without the capacity for mutual understanding and forgiveness, the reconciliation process could not have been achieved. That is why I am honored that today we will visit Curug and Zabalj, where we will jointly pay our respects to the monuments of the innocent Hungarians and innocent Serbs executed during the Second World War,

he said.

In Zabalj (Zsablya) the presidents of Serbia and Hungary inaugurated  own's reconstructed Church of St Mary of the Snows.

At the press conference, Aleksandar Vucic stressed that relations between Hungary and Serbia are at the highest level. For this, thanks are due to Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Hungary’s current and former heads of state. Hungary is very popular among Serbs and Hungarians are considered as their friends, he emphasized. 

I would say that we regard the Hungarian people as sincere friends. And what we do together today will be another step in the strengthening of our friendship.

The two countries have many shared interests he said, noting that Serbia and Hungary have comprehensive relations in several areas.

Serbia's president expressed his hope that a day before the opening of the Subotica (Szabadka) section of the high-speed rail, four countries - Hungary, Serbia, North Macedonia and Greece - will sign a contract on the high-speed rail, adding that the Czech prime minister will also pay a visit to Serbia in two or three days.

When it comes to gas supplies, we will remain Hungary's reliable partner. We also want a joint electricity exchange,

he said. The Horgos-Roszke border crossing point will also be extended so that people are not kept waiting for hours, Vucic added.

12 years ago, trade between the two countries was 768 million euros, last year it was 3.1 billion euros. Hungary has become Serbia's 4th trading partner, up from 13th place, Serbia's president pointed out.

He also highlighted the role of VMSZ in the cooperation between Serbia and Hungary. During the meeting, they also touched on the Russia-Ukraine war and the US presidential election, Aleksandar Vucic added.

As Magyar Nemzet reported in an earlier article, Tamas Sulyok met with VMSZ leaders in Palic at the beginning of his visit to Serbia. During the meeting, they discussed the situation, achievements the Hungarians living in Vojvodina have reached and the situation and challenges they face.

Given that a significant number of Hungarians live in Serbia, mainly in Vojvodina, I considered it important to consult with the leaders of the interest groups of Vojvodina  Hungarians ahead of my official meetings in Belgrade on Monday,

 Tamas Sulyok said, adding that the VMSZ has taken an active and indispensable role in in Hungarian-Serbian relations.

 

Cover photo: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (left) in talks with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok (right) in Belgrade (Photo: Sandor Csudai)