Hungary FM: Hungary, Slovakia Open 2nd Chapter of Border Crossing Expansion

Hungary and Slovakia are opening the second chapter of their agreement on expanding their number of border crossing points, under which they will begin planning the construction of three new bridges and four new connecting roads, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in Bratislava on Monday.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in Kiskunfelegyhaza on April 25, 2025 (Photo: MTI/Ujvari Sandor)

Hungary and Slovakia both have a vested interest in ensuring that one of Europe’s longest borders connects rather than divides the two countries, Peter Szijjarto stated. Whereas in the past the 654km border had only 22 crossing points, under an agreement between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico it now has 40, he highlighted.

This is good for everyone; it’s good for Hungarians, for Slovaks, for those living in southern Slovakia, for the two economies. That is why today we decided to open the second chapter of this comprehensive agreement on increasing the number of border crossing points,

he announced. Under the agreement, Hungary and Slovakia will begin planning the construction of three new bridges. One bridge to serve freight traffic will be built in the Esztergom area, another to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists will be opened at Dunakiliti, and a third will be build on the river Tisza at Cierna (Agcsernyo), he said.

These three new bridges, located in different parts of the country, will make our border even more accessible and better connected,

Peter Szijjarto added, and went on to say that designing four new roads will also begin.

The M2 motorway will be extended northwards and three other roads are planned to be built at Ipolyvece, Zabar and Vamosmikola, respectively. Also, several older border crossing points will be renovated, such as the bridge at Vamosszabadi, near Gyor,

he said.

At least as important is the launching of new train services across several rail lines, facilitating border crossing between Gyor and Bratislava, Szob and Sturovo, and near Balassagyarmat and Salgotarjan,

he added.

 The two countries aim to carry out these developments as quickly as possible, he stressed.

Since the intent is mutual and it depends only on us, we will be just as fast as we were with the first agreement. No one thought it would be possible to increase the number of crossing points from 22 to 40 in just a few years, including building several bridges over the Danube and the Ipoly. And if we managed once, why shouldn’t we succeed again?

he remarked, noting the importance of strengthening Hungary and Slovakia’s shared intention to establish cross-border rescue and health-care cooperation. 

Because there could come a situation on either side of the border that the nearest ambulance station or the best-equipped hospital on the other side of the border is actually much closer than the one within our own country,

he explained. As an example, he noted that if someone in Komarom needs urgent care over the weekend, the nearest options are Tatabanya or Gyor, while one of southern Slovakia’s most modern hospitals is on the other side of the Danube. This situation exists at multiple points along the border.

So it’s clearly in our interest to sign a new agreement on cross-border rescue and health-care cooperation so that those living in the border regions receive the most urgent and highest-quality care possible when they need it,

he said. 

Meanwhile, he said Hungary had a vested interest in the success of the Visegrad Group, noting that the alliance had allowed Hungary, Czechia, Poland and Slovakia to achieve critically important goals they would not have been able to on their own.

Had the prime ministers of the Visegrad countries not cooperated, today there would be tens or hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants roaming in Central European countries,

he opined.

So our interests lie in the Visegrad cooperation being as effective as possible in the areas in which our countries have shared interests,

he continued. He acknowledged that there are sharp disagreements among the Visegrad Group countries on certain geopolitical issues, such as the war in Ukraine, but if everyone is able to focus on the areas where there is agreement, the Visegrad cooperation could resume.

For our part, we will do everything in order to make this happen. Today it has become clear that success will not depend on us or on the Slovaks,

Peter Szijjarto concluded.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in Kiskunfelegyhaza on April 25, 2025 (Photo: MTI/Ujvari Sandor)