Szijjarto discusses economic cooperation with Serbian president
Belgrade, November 20 (MTI) – Record-high bilateral trade indicates significant improvement in cooperation between Hungary and Serbia, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic concluded during talks in Belgrade today.
They also agreed on improving infrastructure links between the two countries, in which a planned rapid railway connection between Budapest and Belgrade as well as further border crossing stations could have an important role, the Serbian president’s office said in a statement.
Nikolic repeated Serbia’s commitment to becoming a full member of the European Union as soon as possible.
Szijjarto expressed support for Belgrade’s European integration efforts, saying the EU should give a boost to the enlargement process.
Meeting behind closed doors, the two politicians agreed that Serbia’s ethnic Hungarian minority is an important link between the two nations.
Szijjarto, who arrived in Serbia on a two-day visit, also met Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, and discussed a timeframe for the construction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway link, as well as the benefits of South Stream.
After the closed-door meeting, the Serbian government said in a statement that the talks also touched upon a China-Eastern Europe summit to be held in Belgrade in December.
Szijjarto and Vucic agreed that the two countries together would negotiate with Chinese partners construction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway, as well as financing the project scheduled to be completed by mid-2017. They agreed that South Stream would be very important for both countries, especially in terms of energy security. Parties at the talks concluded that ethnic Serbs in Hungary and Hungarians in Serbia contributed to the two countries’ outstanding relations.
Later today, Szijjarto will attend a session of the economic mixed committee and a Hungarian-Serbian business forum. On Friday he is scheduled to hold talks with Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.
Photo: MTI /Â Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters