PHOTOS, VIDEO: New bridge connecting Slovakia, Hungary inaugurated

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó opened a new bridge on the River Ipoly connecting Ipolydamasd in Hungary with Helemba in Slovakia, saying the bridge was a good example of the strategic links and cross-border cooperation between the two countries.

Opening more and more border crossings benefitted both Hungarians and Slovaks and was an important government task, Szijjártó said at the event. The number of border crossings has increased from 22 in 2010 to the current 37, he said.

The new Ipoly bridge spanning 58 metres along with connecting road infrastructure was built using 2.5 billion forints (EUR 6.7m) of European Union funding, and it demonstrated “excellent Hungarian-Slovak cooperation in cross-border issues and the utilisaiton of EU resources”. He added that another three crossing points were planned to be opened between Hungary and Slovakia this year, including two further Ipoly bridges.