Hungary and Romania sign agreement on new railway line

Representatives of Hungary and Romania have signed a transport agreement aimed at starting preparations for a new railway line between Szeged, in southern Hungary, and Romania’s Timisoara (Temesvár), as well as opening a new border crossing facility at Kübekháza, the foreign minister said in Bucharest on Wednesday.

Péter Szijjártó spoke after talks with Sorin Grindeanu, the Romanian traffic and infrastructure minister, and said the two governments would bid for European funds to finance the Szeged-Timisoara line. Under the agreement, a joint working group will be set up and a feasibility study completed, the minister said, adding that the railway service would benefit both countries “both from an economic and a patriotic point of view”.

The Hungarian and Romanian governments have also submitted a joint bid to the EU for funding to rebuild a bridge over the river Maros at Magyarcsanád, Szijjártó said, adding that he was hopeful as “the bid has been given a good evaluation”.

The new links will make “the fabric of cross-border cooperation stronger,” he said, adding that “it is good to have good ties with neighbours rather than being on bad terms … it is especially true when the neighbouring country has a large Hungarian community.”

He said both countries had an interest in Romania’s Schengen integration, adding that the Hungarian EU presidency would work to eliminate border controls at the Hungary-Romania border.

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Featured image: illustration, MÁV