PM Orbán: “Serbs and Hungarians must rethink a number of things”

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the friendship between Hungarians and Serbs has never been as close as now, speaking at the inauguration of the Belgrade-Novi Sad rail line on Saturday.

“We will implement all our great plans together with your president, despite the difficult circumstances,” Orbán said after arriving by train in Novi Sad with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

He said that the war in Ukraine has “come at the worst possible time”, presenting “a serious challenge, because we have developed so well, we have started with such great momentum, and we still have so many good plans ahead of us”.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic — Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivien Cher

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He added that the war is felt “by everyone here in our hearts and minds”.

Orbán said the world has become uncertain, and Serbs and Hungarians must rethink a number of things. “I hope that President Vučić and I will play a role in this rethink” after the upcoming elections, he added.

Orbán said the rail line – part of an upgrade of the Belgrade-Budapest line – would “make life easier for Serbs and Hungarians” and pledged that the entire stretch would be operational by 2025.