At a joint press conference held with Serbian counterpart Marko Duric, Peter Szijjarto said a new world order and new realities are taking shape in the wake of the inauguration of the new US president, according to a ministry statement forwarded to MTI on Thursday. He added that this was good news because Donald Trump pursues patriotic policies, confronts woke ideology and is putting an end to the previous "shameless interference" in the domestic affairs of foreign countries.
At the same time, we can of course still see continual attacks against patriotic and sovereigntist governments... But what's changed is that instead of both Brussels and Washington, these attacks solely come from Brussels. This is not pleasant but much easier to fend off compared to past periods,
he pointed out.
Of course we're monitoring events in Serbia and can see the attempts at destabilization under way. We Hungarians have a vested interest in stability and peace in Serbia
he underlined. He welcomed efforts by the Serbian president and government that he said are essential for developing bilateral relations.
He praised the results of cooperation between the two countries, citing the upgrading of rail links between the two capitals and mutual contributions to each other's energy security.
He also said that Europe's most modern and largest border crossing point will be built at Roszke, enabling the fastest possible journeys between the two countries. He added that a decision has been made to extend the opening hours of existing border crossings. The European Union is in serious trouble, with its competitiveness significantly weakened, Peter Szijjarto said, adding that in this situation, the EU needs new momentum, which could come from the Western Balkans, where Serbia plays a leading role.
Today, it is at least as much in the European Union’s interest for Western Balkan countries to join as the other way around,
he noted. He called it shameful that EU institutions in Brussels and certain European countries are still blocking Serbia's accession process. He also pointed to the cowardice of those involved, as those obstructing enlargement are extremely brave behind closed doors but adopt different language when Serbian government representatives are present. He harshly criticized the lack of progress in Serbia's EU integration in recent years, describing it as pathetic that some EU leaders are hindering the opening of the third cluster of accession chapters with the country, which is focused on economic growth and competitiveness.
My advice to my European colleagues was to come to Belgrade, then go home, and return two weeks later. Then they would see what economic growth and rapid development look like,
he said.
Hungary will continue to provide all support to ensure that Serbia's European integration process proceeds as fast as possible,
he concluded.
Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Photo: Facebook)
