Djuric: I briefed Szijjártó on the situation in Kosovo

Today, after a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjártó, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated that it was an honor to host in Belgrade a sincere and dear friend of Serbia and the Serbian people.

Djuric conveyed that he and Szijjártó discussed various global issues, the situation in Europe after the arrival of the new US administration, and that he briefed the Hungarian colleague on the situation in Kosovo, where parliamentary elections were recently held.

"In Kosovo and Metohija, the vote counting is underway, and unfortunately, there are attempts to influence the outcome of how citizens voted. We are closely monitoring and watching how this situation will unfold and expect that the will of the citizens will be respected and not altered in any political way. Serbia is committed to stability, peace, good relations within the country, and also in the region," Djuric pointed out.

Djuric emphasized that they had the opportunity today to have very substantial talks about improving relations between Serbia and Hungary.

"These have been strategic in nature for years, based on the historical friendship of our peoples and the declaration we achieved in 2013 under the leadership of Mr. Orban and President Vucic, reaching new heights and representing a true European model of cooperation and connection in our region. I am very grateful to Mr. Szijjártó and our Hungarian friends for the exceptional results we have achieved during the period since the strategic council for cooperation, which was held a few months ago in Budapest," Djuric said.

The head of Serbian diplomacy indicated that Serbia and Hungary are accelerating work on projects in the field of infrastructural connections, such as building new energy channels like an oil pipeline.

"This is very significant for our citizens and economy. We are deepening cooperation in the area of creating border crossings that will be the most modern, best flowing in Europe, and safest at the same time with the possibility to provide our countries and our peoples with fast, safe, and efficient traffic. We will continue to work on a Joint Innovation Forum organization between Serbia and Hungary because we want to be better connected. I told Mr. Szijjártó that the fact that Serbia chairs the global partnership for artificial intelligence this year means an opportunity for both Serbia and Hungary to participate in shaping policies and principles on which the topic of artificial intelligence as a significant social issue that impacts socio-political, economic, and other flows will develop," Djuric pointed out.

He especially thanked his Hungarian colleague for supporting Serbia in the international arena and European integrations.

"I would like to thank you for the exceptional relations with the Serbian national community in Hungary, as this kind of relationship has shown not only the closeness of our two peoples and our two countries but also that we stand behind the principles of respecting and valuing the cultural and spiritual identities and histories of the peoples living in our area. We are very proud of the active role of the Hungarian people in the social and political life of Serbia. We want to continue to jointly further enhance this kind of position and cooperation, and we are grateful that we have managed to create such a relationship that has truly become a real European example," emphasized the minister.

The head of diplomacy also briefed his Hungarian colleague on the internal political dynamics in Serbia.

"We have the endurance and wisdom not to allow various scenarios, which may resemble any colored revolutions and various other attempts at destabilization, to occur in our country. In this domain, the exchange of experiences and, let’s say, impressions of these internal circumstances is extremely important. At the same time, I have informed Mr. Szijjártó of all the steps and measures that the government and other institutions have taken to strengthen social dialogue, build democratic capacities, and address certain legitimate expectations of our public, and in that sense, the conversation in this part was very, very significant," highlighted Minister Djuric.

He expressed excitement that Hungary will have a significant and notable presence at the upcoming Expo 2027.

"For us, it will be an extraordinary honor and opportunity for a large number of Hungarian citizens to visit Serbia and to continue developing this exchange between people, for as many Serbian citizens to visit Budapest, Hungarian spas, and other beautiful places, and for our exchange in this domain to be mutually beneficial. We practically do not see you as guests here, but as our own," concluded the head of Serbian diplomacy.

Sijarto: Membership of the Western Balkan countries in the European Union is important

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó thanked his Serbian counterpart for the invitation to come to Belgrade and emphasized that he is pleased that the Serbian and Hungarian governments attribute strategic importance to the continuous improvement of bilateral relations, which is now particularly important as, he states, a new world order is being created.

"We live in a completely new geopolitical reality, and I must tell you that this is good news for us because it has arisen thanks to the new American president who is conducting a patriotic policy, who has opposed the 'woke' ideology and ended the blatant interference of the American government in the internal affairs of other states. Trump has openly declared war on the global dictatorship of the international liberal mainstream. Despite everything, we still see that attacks on patriotic and sovereigntist governments do not cease, but what has changed is that these attacks no longer come from Washington and Brussels, but only from Brussels. This is not pleasant, but it is much easier to reject than before," explained Szijjártó.

He emphasized that it is in the interest of Hungarians for peace and stability to prevail in Serbia and noted that he sees attempts at destabilization taking place. Szijjártó also pointed out that Europe today faces significant problems and that momentum from the Western Balkans, where Serbia plays a leading role, according to the Hungarian minister, could be the way out of such a situation.

"If we look at the facts, we can say that the membership of the Western Balkan countries in the European Union is as important for the EU as it is for the Balkan states themselves. Hungary has followed the events, and this development of the situation has been judged as shameful, that institutions in Brussels and some European countries continue to block Serbia's accession process. This is simultaneously cowardice. Those who block Serbia usually show courage only when Serbian representatives are not present, and when Serbs are there, they praise them. It is scandalous that in the last few months and years we have not been able to progress in Serbia's integration process. It is particularly sad that some European leaders have prevented the opening of the third group of accession chapters with Serbia, which concern economic growth and competitiveness," emphasized Szijjártó.

He stated that he advised European colleagues to come to Belgrade, return home, and then come back after two weeks because, he notes, only then will they understand what economic growth and rapid development mean. The Hungarian head of diplomacy also stressed that he highly appreciates the efforts of the President of Serbia and the Government, which, he says, are crucial for the development of Hungarian-Serbian relations.

"All in all, Hungary will continue to provide all the support to accelerate the process of Serbia's European integration in the future. I want to say that Serbs and Hungarians, Hungarians and Serbs, have already achieved great results. We connect two main cities with modern railway infrastructure, ensure mutual energy security, and last year a record amount of natural gas arrived in Hungary via Serbia. This encourages us to continue building new, large projects together. That's why we've decided to build a new oil pipeline between the two countries, which involves constructing 180 kilometers of new pipeline in Hungary, along with other necessary investments," announced Szijjártó.

The Hungarian minister pointed out that they are also working on doubling the capacity of power connections between Serbia and Hungary, which, he says, will be completed by 2028.

"In addition, we are building the largest and most modern border crossing in Europe, at Reske, to enable the fastest possible flow of people and goods between the two countries, and we have decided to extend the working hours of existing border crossings, to make traffic between our countries as fast as possible. Of course, where crossings are already open 24 hours a day, there will be no changes, but this does not apply to all border crossings," concluded Szijjártó, emphasizing that he looks forward to continuing meetings in Belgrade.