Relation between Serbia and Hungary – strong friendship or bloody conflicts?

Last week Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić said in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg that “Hungarians have nothing to worry about in Vojvodina”. Almost the same time when these words were uttered a Hungarian boy was attacked, and assaulted on a city bus because he listened Hungarian music and browsed Hungarian websites on his cell phone. Today  Orbán said after meeting Serbian foreign minister Ivan Mrkic in Budapest: Hungary strongly supports Serbia’s integration into the European Union, which “the southern neighbour appreciates”. Who has the truth?

Few days ago

The mother of the boy told DélHír portal that her son, 16 -year-old Oszkár N. was attacked at 1:25 pm while sitting on the bus going to Temerin. The boy attends the local Lukijan Mušicki High School. The assailant, a middle-aged man, approximately 35-40 years of age was sitting next to the boy and noticed that Oszkár listening Hungarian music and browsing Hungarian websites on his mobile phone. The assailant jumped up and hit the boy in the face in the meantime screamed racial slurs. After scolding the boy the assailant continued assaulting Oszkár hitting him 5 or 6 times.

Today

The Hungarian Government website according, Hungary strongly supports Serbia’s integration into the European Union, which “the southern neighbour appreciates”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after meeting Serbian foreign minister Ivan Mrkic in Budapest today. The sides noted that thanks to good neighbourly relations between their countries, large-scale border crossing development projects were under way, with one opened in May and two more in the pipeline, Bertalan Havasi, the Head of the Prime Minister’s Press Office.

Prime Minster Orbán and Mr. Mrkic said developing the Budapest–Belgrade railway line was in the two countries’ mutual interest, and work by their railway companies was also being undertaken. They also agreed on the launching of a Hungarian–Serbian scholarship programme in the near future, Havasi said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi said it was in Hungary’s interests to continue to strengthen the „excellent system of relations” with Serbia which has developed in the recent past. After meeting Minister Mrkic, his counterpart, he told a news conference that Hungary supports the earliest possible commencement of accession negotiations with the EU. At the talks, Hungary will pay special attention to the situation of ethnic minorities, refugees and migration, he added. Hungarian–Serbian relations have been developing very favourably in the recent period, Mr. Martonyi said. An atmosphere of trust has developed between the two countries, and this helps to quickly settle any disputes which may arise, regardless of whether they relate to the past the present or the future, he added.

Source: hungarianambiance.com, kormany.hu, Photo: hirado.hu