FM Szijjártó: Hungary-Serbia relations at historic best

Hungary-Serbia relations are at their historic best, as ethnic Hungarian communities beyond the borders represent a resource in cooperation with neighbouring countries, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

The ministry cited Péter Szijjártó telling a press conference after meeting Bálint Pásztor, head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ), that ethnic Hungarians were a focus point for Hungary’s foreign policy. This is why an ethnic Hungarian community leader gets invited to the meeting of ambassadors every year, which has been the case also this year, the foreign minister said.

He congratulated Pasztor on his party’s performance at the elections in Serbia in December and said the results represented a great achievement, especially in the current period full of challenges.

“Serbia, Vojvodina and the VMSZ prove together that it is a correct foreign policy strategy to develop as good relations with neighbouring countries as possible,” said Szijjártó. “Because the better the relations are with a neighbouring country, the better the situation of ethnic Hungarians living there will be,” he added.

Hungarians in Serbia

“Vojvodina Hungarians are proof that it is correct to consider Hungarian communities beyond the borders as a resource in building good bilateral relations,” Szijjártó said.

He said that in planning its foreign policy strategy, the government always gives priority to building good relations with neighbouring states and always stands up for ethnic Hungarian communities living there.