Hungary urges EU to open talks with Serbia on 5 new accession chapters

Serbia could serve as a model for several EU aspirant countries in terms of promoting minority rights, the Hungarian foreign minister said and urged Brussels to open talks with that country on five new accession chapters already this year.

Péter Szijjártó spoke in Belgrade on Friday, after talks with Jadranka Joksimovic, Serbia’s EU integration minister.

Szijjártó noted by comparison that the minority rights situation in Ukraine was “shameful”, making reference to Ukraine’s recent education law.

“Ukraine says it is striving to become a member of the European Union, yet the country has amended its education law and banned education for children older than 10 in their mother tongue,” he said.

Serbia, in contrast, has amended its education law to strengthen, even to further improve the rights of the country’s national minorities, he added.

In recognition of Belgrade’s support to the Hungarian community in Vojvodina, Hungary will do its utmost to support Serbia’s integration with the EU, Szijjártó said.

Featured image: MTI

Source: MTI