Orbán holds talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Serb leader Milorad Dodik

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s autonomous Serb Republic, in Budapest on Monday.

Hungary considers Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serb Republic its “honorary neighbour”, Orbán said at the meeting. Relations between Hungary and the Serb Republic remain “excellent”, and they “will do everything in the interest of strengthening their cooperation”, as reflected by their ongoing joint projects, the two leaders said.

Orbán and Dodik discussed the potential investment opportunities for Hungarian businesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s financial, energy and telecommunications sectors. The prime minister made it clear that maintaining the stability of the Western Balkans was crucial for Hungary’s and the European Union’s security.

Hungary firmly opposes the attempts to put pressure on Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnian Serbs through sanctions, Orbán said, arguing that this was counterproductive and would only serve to escalate tensions.

The prime minister expressed hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina could make further progress in its European integration process in the coming period. Hungary will aim to devote special attention to the integration of the Western Balkans during its presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2024, he said.