Croatia

Hungarians respect human rights the least in the EU?

blm-demonstration protest black lives matter

A survey was conducted in 27 EU states about the importance of respecting human rights. On average, nearly 9 out of 10 people think it is important for a fair society, found the EU Agency for Fundamental Human Rights (FRA).

The number of people in Hungary who agree with respecting human rights being a fundamental aspect of a fair society is the lowest amongst the countries, with 76% of Hungarians agreeing, reported Népszava.

The highest percentage was in Malta, where 96% of the people surveyed agreed, and the average score was 88%. Almost 35,000 people were interviewed for the survey about their take on human rights.

Hungarians are most afraid of intimidation tactics being used on them by a political party or movement during an election campaign, with 43%, followed by Romania (41%) and Germany (37%). The European Union average is 23%.

58% of Hungarians aged 16-29 and 69% of Hungarians above 65 think it is important for the opposition to be able to freely criticise the government.

38% of Hungarians do not believe that non-governmental and charity organisations are able to fully operate freely, independent of the government, which is way above the EU average of 21%.

Over one-third of the Hungarians surveyed think that courts and judges are influenced by the government, but even more people think so in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia.

Over 60% of Croatians, Hungarians, Latvians, and Slovaks think that you need to pay doctors “gratuities” in order to receive better and faster care.

72% of Hungarians think it is easier to get a job if you support the party in charge, which is more than the EU average of 63%. However, in Croatia and Greece, the percentage was above 80, while in Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands, it was 30% or below.

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Read alsoHungarians respect human rights the least in the EU?

More international train services resuming from July

Keleti railway station Budapest train MÁV

Several international train services are resuming from July, while the number of services currently operating to Austria and Germany will increase, the national rail operator, MÁV, said on Tuesday.

International travel contracted by 90 percent during the coronavirus epidemic but more and more people are again showing interest in international services, MÁV said.

Rules on wearing a face mask differ depending on the country, but it is still compulsory to wear a mask in Hungary.

Train services to Vienna via the Hegyeshalom border crossing have been running since mid-May, the statement noted.

From July 2, high-speed trains to Germany will run on the Budapest-Vienna route every 2 hours.

Also train services to Zagreb will operate from the start of July, but services to the Adriatic will not run this summer.

Services between Kosice and Budapest will also resume but according to a modified schedule due to track construction.

Some services to Slovenia will resume, though the Istria train will not run this summer. Also various services to cities in Serbia will start again.

Due to track construction on the Serbian railway network, international trains to Belgrade will not run.

MÁV-Start will refund any international tickets that could not be used if they were purchased before June 1.

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Read alsoA new start for the Hungarian railway industry? Hungarian-made wagons to run in Egypt! – video

Restrictions on Hungary-Croatia border to be lifted on Friday!

Croatia sea coast

Hungarians and Croatians will soon be allowed to cross at all seven border crossings without being required to go into quarantine, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Restrictions on travel to each other’s countries are being lifted on Friday, Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook.

Evidence suggests that central European countries have managed to keep the spread of the virus under control, the minister said.

Based on experiences of opening the borders with Austria, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, the situation has not deteriorated.

“Our priority is to protect the lives and health of Hungarians, but their discipline during the epidemic’s peak in Hungary has made it possible to lift some of the regulations,” Szijjarto said.

Discussions on opening the border were among matters Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed with Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic on Tuesday, he noted.

Read alsoHungary expects more respect from Croatian politicians spreading fake news, says ministry

Hungary expects more respect from Croatian politicians spreading fake news, says ministry

An official of the foreign ministry said Hungary expected more respect from Croatian politicians who had voiced baseless criticism and spread fake news about Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in recent days.

Tamáés Menczer, state secretary for communication and Hungary’s international image, said on the ministry’s Facebook page that Hungary had made a major contribution to the success of the Croatian economy, with 644,000 Hungarians spending 3.2 million guest nights there last year, Hungarian oil and gas company MOL “involved in the largest investment in Croatia” and the Hungarian Electricity Works MVM “about to buy 6.75 billion cubic metres of gas from the LNG terminal on Krk Island”.

“Considering the above, we expect more respect from Croatian politicians voicing baseless criticism and spreading fake news about Hungary,” he added.

Menczer said their behaviour was “especially difficult to understand at a time when consultations are under way about opening borders, an extremely important move for the Croatian tourism season”.

Orbán recently posted a video on Facebook showing a plaque on the newly inaugurated Trianon memorial in Sátoraljaújhely with the words “Fiume [Rijeka] – To the sea, Hungarians!”.

fiume rijeka trianon
“Fiume [Rijeka] – To the sea, Hungarians!” “Fiume – Tengerre magyar!

 

Some Croatian press reports have mistranslated it as “the Hungarian sea” and called the sign a provocation.

The Croatian foreign ministry said it expected an explanation from the Hungarian embassy in Zagreb.

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Read alsoTrianon 100 – Orbán: Hungary winning again

EU countries agree on coordinated, non-discriminatory lifting of travel ban

zagreb reopened

European interior ministers agreed on Friday that travel restrictions imposed to curb the COVID-19 pandemic should be abolished in a coordinated and non-discriminatory manner.

During a video conference that was held within the framework of Croatia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), the ministers noted that the coronavirus outbreak has threatened some of the foundations of the EU, such as the European Single Market and freedom of movement.

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Read alsoMost important information about border openings in the EU

EU member states have gradually eased or abolished restrictive measures that were imposed on national or regional levels. In the last few weeks, some countries have opened their borders for other nationals, but there has not been a comprehensive agreement on the EU level.

The ministers discussed the expected time frames within which border checks will be abolished once the health situation in a particular member state makes it possible, but did not mention any timetable.

They also discussed the procedure for returning to the full functioning of the Schengen area.

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Read alsoSpain to reopen land borders from June 22

“Full functioning of the Schengen area and free movement of persons is of key importance for economic recovery and the European Union in general,” Croatian Interior Ministry Davor Bozinovic said in a press release.

EU member states have also expressed their views on possible lifting of restrictions that have been in place for third-country nationals, and on the criteria and measures on the basis of which the restrictions would be lifted.

Is the image of Hungary in surrounding countries improving? – survey

Hungary-flag-Hungarian-capital-Budapest-castle

The image of Hungary in surrounding countries is improving, according to a survey by the Central European Nézőpont Institute.

Nézőpont said in its report released on Tuesday that the “wounds” of the Trianon arrangements that deprived Hungary of two-thirds of its territory one hundred years ago were healing slowly thanks to cooperation and mutual respect in central Europe, and Hungary’s image in the Carpathian Basin had improved in the past year.

Slovakians have the most positive view of Hungary (78 percent), followed by Croatians (68 percent) and Serbians (60 percent).

More than half of respondents in neighboring countries, with the exception of Romania (47 percent), had positive views of Hungary.

In Croatia, favourable opinions increased by 12 percentage points in a year while in Slovakia they were up 11 percentage points. In Austria there was a 10 percentage-point rise. Only in Romania and Serbia was there a decline.

Hungarians also have more positive views of neighbouring countries, with 82 percent of Hungarian respondents expressing a good opinion of Austria, up 9 percentage points compared with 2019, while 74 percent felt positive about Croatia. Positive sentiment in relation to Slovenia and Slovakia was 64 percent and 62 percent, respectively.

Less than half of respondents were upbeat about Serbia (40 percent) and Romania (36 percent).

Data presented at the panel discussion was evaluated by CEPER analysts Gergely Illés and Géza Tokár, experts on Romania and Slovakia, respectively, while the meeting was moderated by Mihály Rosonczy-Kovács.

Regarding the background of the constantly improving trend in Slovakia, Géza Tokár said that

previously conflict-generating issues, such as the Malina Hedvig case, had been removed from the agenda and replaced by those in which the official positions of the two countries were closer aligned, and that these were also shared by the majority of the public.

Examples include managing the issue of asylum seekers or representing Christian-conservative values in the discourse on the future of Europe. Tokár emphasized that the Slovak society in general is even more conservative than the Hungarian, and the positive opinion about Hungary is also a reflection of the fact that Hungary strongly represents conservative values at the international level as well.

In addition, Slovakia unlike Romania, is committed to Central European cooperation. Géza Tokár said that Slovak diplomacy is characterized by a high degree of pragmatism.

“If there is a Slovak foreign policy doctrine, it is to try to work with everyone in the light of the possibilities.” The V4 currently has no alternative, its economic benefits are known to the entire Slovak political elite, so Slovakia is expected to remain a secure partner in regional cooperation.

In connection with the events in Romania in the recent period, Gergely Illyés emphasized that

President Klaus Iohannis had been condemned by leading Romanian and Western, mainly German-speaking circles, which otherwise supported him, for his anti-Hungarian statements.

The Romanian President’s actions were primarily driven by domestic politics, the analyst added. Regarding the opportunities for co-operation in Central Europe, Illyés explained that the basic principle of Romanian diplomacy was to consider the United States as their main ally, followed by the large EU member states, primarily Germany. They are trying to strengthen Romanian-Polish bilateral relations in the region, thus trying to move Poland away from the V4 and reduce Hungary’s influence in the region. According to Illyés, any initiatives in Romania that would call for the strengthening of the Central European region do not currently receive media coverage. The view often expressed by Iohannis, which considers regional cooperation to be unnecessary and remains committed to the federal European Union, can be considered as the generally accepted position of the Romanian political and diplomatic elite. According to Illyés, the spread of pro-Central European views would require a radical, systemic change, for which there is very little chance in the short term.

Travelling from the neighboring countries to Hungary – All details

hungarian flag hungary

Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will open their borders for citizens of the neighbouring country at midnight on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.

At a press conference held together with ethnic Hungarian leader Hunor Kelemen, Szijjártó said that citizens crossing the borders will not need to be isolated unless they wish to stay in the other country longer than 48 hours. “

We will allow Slovaks to stay 48 hours in Hungary without quarantine and the Slovaks will do the same with Hungarians,” he explained, adding that the same pattern will be applied in Czech-Slovak relations.

Szijjártó warned that Hungarians travelling to the Czech Republic will be allowed to cross Slovakia, however, they cannot enter Slovakia from the Czech Republic and they will need to make a detour through Austria on their way back. Similarly, Czechs will have to return from Hungary via Austria, he added.

Information on the possibilities of entering Hungary from border countries, and on mandatory official home quarantine: 

Austrian citizens  
Austrian citizens can enter Hungary if Must comply with the mandatory official home quarantine of 14 days
he/she has the right of permanent residence in Hungary Yes
he/she is the member of a Hungarian family Yes
he/she has a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result no older than 4 days and wishes to enter Hungary from Austria No
he/she has privileges and immunities based on international law No
in the case of business travel between associated enterprises from the Czech Republic, Poland, South Korea, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Japan No
he/she has an employer’s certificate as a commuter, or has certificate of ownership or the right to use cultivated land No
he/she has a school attendance form issued by an institution of higher education Yes
he/she transits through the designated border crossing points No, but they cannot leave the designated transit routes
he/she is the driver of a vehicle in international cargo traffic No
Romanian citizens  
Romanian citizens can enter Hungary Must comply with the mandatory official home quarantine of 14 days
he/she has the right of permanent residence in Hungary Yes
if he/she is the member of a Hungarian family Yes
he/she has privileges and immunities based on international law No
he/she has an employer’s certificate as a commuter or for health care purposes within 30 kilometers of the border No
to meet the labor needs of the agricultural sector Yes
he/she has a school attendance form issued by an institution of higher education Yes
he/she transits through the designated border crossing points No, but they cannot leave the designated transit routes
he/she has a connecting flight onward from the Liszt Ferenc International Airport No, but they cannot leave the designated transit routes
he/she is the driver of a vehicle in international cargo traffic No
Serbian citizens  
Serbian citizens can enter Hungary if Must comply with the mandatory official home quarantine of 14 days
he/she wishes to enter Hungary from Serbia No
he/she has the right of permanent residence in Hungary Yes
he/she is the member of a Hungarian family Yes
he/she has privileges and immunities based on international law No
he/she has an employer’s certificate as a commuter, or has certificate ownership or of the right to use cultivated land within 50 kilometers of the border No
he/she has a school attendance form issued by an institution of higher education Yes
he/she transits through the designated border crossing points No, but they cannot leave the designated transit routes
he/she is the driver of a vehicle in international cargo traffic No

Citizens of Slovakia, Ukraine, Croatia and Slovenia can enter Hungary if: more information HERE.

Coronavirus in Hungary: 737 using home quarantine monitoring app

budapest-Erzsébet-Square-coronavirus

At present, 737 people are using the smartphone app developed to monitor home quarantine cases, a spokesman of the operative board coordinating Hungary’s response to the novel coronavirus epidemic said on Tuesday.

Altogether 10,394 people are officially in home quarantine, Róbert Kiss told an online press conference.

As regards travelling to neighbouring countries, Kiss noted that as of today,

Croatia no longer restricts entry of European Union citizens to those who own property or a boat in the country. People who have booked accommodation or want to go to attend a family event or receive medical treatment are now also permitted to enter the country, he said.

At the Austrian border, the crossing at Zsira will be open to passenger traffic between 5am and 9pm from Wednesday, Kiss said.

The waiting time for inbound cargo traffic is 3 hours at Röszke and 2 hours at Tompa at the Serbian border, he said.

Answering a question, he said that Romanian citizens returning from western Europe can still use the corridor opened at the early stage of the epidemic.

Chief epidemiologist: Number of cases falling, but caution still needed

Although the number of coronavirus infections in Hungary is steadily falling, precautions are still needed as Covid-19 patients can still be found in various parts of the country, the country’s chief epidemiologist said on Tuesday.

The protection of the most vulnerable groups must be maintained, János Szlávik of the Budapest South Pest Hospital told public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, noting the importance of physical distancing, face masks and disinfectants.

Meanwhile, he said

a wide variety of drugs were in use to help treat Covid-19 patients in Hungary, including drugs to treat malaria, HIV-AIDS and influenza, as well as new pills imported from the United States and Japan.

Plasma therapy is also effective, he said.

Read more here on coronavirus in Hungary.

11 European countries make arrangements for reopening of borders!

sagrada-familia-barcelona

Foreign ministers from 11 European countries agreed on Monday the terms for the reopening of borders and restoring the freedom of movement of European citizens, according to a joint declaration released by the Portuguese Diplomatic portal.

Gathered by videoconference, representatives from Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia concerted to restore “freedom of movement and circulation in the European Union,” said the declaration.

Based on the principles of proportionality and non-discrimination, the ministers agreed that, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Europe needs to go further.

The meeting defined the “survey of border control measures, resumption of transport and connectivity services, in addition to the progressive restart of tourism services and health protocols in hotel establishments,” said the declaration.

The opening will be done in stages, coordinated between EU member states and gradual to “avoid the risk that a rise in infections will get out of control,” it added.

It said that countries had combined to work on a “common understanding of health standards and procedures in a progressive manner.”

“We urge the tourism industry and related private actors to take advantage of the coming weeks to take appropriate preventive measures so that they can protect travelers as soon as freedom of movement and travel is restored,” it said.

“Even though the situation regarding the pandemic is different in each country, our goal is to coordinate in order to restore freedom of movement to travel safely,” it added.

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Read also11 European countries make arrangements for reopening of borders!

FM Szijjártó confirms Hungary’s interest in energy cooperation with Croatia

Hungary continues to have a vested interest in energy cooperation with Croatia, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday after talks with Croatian Energy Minister Tomislav Coric over the phone.

Szijjártó cited on Facebook Coric as saying that despite the difficult situation,

“the Croatian LNG terminal” could start operation next January and sell liquefied gas.

“Energy cooperation with Croatia has remained a priority for Hungary because the more sources we can buy gas from, the more secure supplies are,” he said, adding that Hungary is negotiating with several players in the international market about the delivery of liquefied gas through Croatia.

In another development, Szijjártó held talks with his counterpart Abdulla Shahid from the Maldives to thank him for their help in enabling 69 Hungarian citizens to return to Hungary since March. The current pandemic has also hit the Maldives hard, he said, adding that they had exchanged information about options for the acquisition of protective gear.

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Read alsoTax authority cracks down on illegal oil traders in Hungary – VIDEO

Tax authority cracks down on illegal oil traders in Hungary – VIDEO

illegal oil traders Hungary

Hungarian tax office (NAV) investigators have identified a group of criminal suspects in connection with a scam to offload 4.5 million litres of low-grade oil at a mark up while dodging tax, costing the treasury 750 million forints (EUR 2.1m), NAV said on Tuesday.

According to a NAV statement, the group, headed by two men, purchased fuel oil in Poland, and sold it Hungary without paying any taxes.

The gang used Croatian, Hungarian, and Czech companies as a front for their activities, the statement added.

The oil, bought by customers in Hungary as a replacement for diesel, was not up to Hungarian standards, NAV said.

NAV has seized equipment for a mobile filling station, vans, properties, as well as cash and fuel, and it froze bank accounts connected to the gang, the statement said.

The authority is raising charges against 30 people for organised fraud and dealing in stolen goods.

NAV carried out the investigation in cooperation with the Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Romanian, and Polish authorities.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=external&v=270995717401198
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Hungarian domestic accommodation bookings up by 30 pc in one month

szentendre-hungary

Accommodation bookings by domestic travellers have increased by 30 percent in one month, the deputy head of the Hungarian Tourism Agency said on Tuesday.

A large number of bookings have been made for the second half of June and for the months of July and August, and the tourism sector is expected to restart with the easing of epidemic-related restrictions in early to mid-June, László Könnyid told public news channel M1.

The tourism agency recently published the results of a new survey showing that

over half of Hungarians plan to travel after the epidemic is over.

A total of 12 percent of respondents said they plan to travel abroad, with Croatia and Greece topping the list of destinations.

Könnyid said

half of respondents considered it important that hotels should offer flexible conditions for bookings and a quarter said the second most important consideration was health.

He added that travellers should expect changed circumstances, waiters will most likely have to wear masks and gloves, sunbeds will have to be placed at least two metres away from each other and social distancing rules must be followed even on beaches.

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Coronavirus – Hungarian government accepts donation, also pledges further help to CEE countries

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Hungary will continue to help other central and eastern European countries in their efforts to contain the novel coronavirus epidemic which is in line with the EU’s relevant policy, the foreign minister said on Wednesday, after a video conference with EU development ministers.

The video conference was initiated by Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs and security policy commissioner, to discuss the distribution of 15.5 billion euro assistance the EU has set aside as a bloc to help troubled countries in the western Balkans, in Africa and Asia, Péter Szijjártó told a press conference on Facebook.

The EU commissioner has asked every member state to provide help to troubled countries outside the bloc, Szijjártó said.

Hungary has so far provided 600,000 face masks and 30,000 protective suits to neighbouring Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, as well as to North Macedonia and the Bosnian Serb Republic, he said.

Concerning supplies, Szijjártó noted that

Hungary had so far received from China consignments of 36 million masks and a machine line for the production of an additional 2.8 million masks per month. This is what Hungary can provide for the countries in need, he said.

Szijjártó added that additional consignments of 5 million face masks, protective suits and 140 ventilators are expected to arrive in Hungary from China during the day.

The minister said that Hungary had helped some 130 citizens of other EU and non-EU countries return home.

The foreign minister, however, expressed concern over “certain European commissioners’ efforts to make things worse for Hungary by spreading lies and fake news about the country”.

The commissioners in question should rather help the member states in need, Szijjártó said.

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Read alsoCoronavirus in Hungary – 31 million masks, 133,000 tests received from China

Lipizzan horse-breeding to become part of World Heritage?

lipicai ló lipizzan horse

Together, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania requested Lipizzan horse-breeding to be added to UNESCO’S Intangible Cultural Heritage list at the end of 2017.

UNESCO is to decide about adding it to the list at their World Heritage Committee’s annual congress, in December of 2020, reported Sokszínű Vidék. The Slovenian government handed in the official application to UNESCO’s Parisian office.

The traditional breeding of Lipizzan horses is part of the Croatian cultural heritage in Baranya (Hungary), Slavonia and Syrmia (Croatia). Lipica horses are still bred in all the countries taking part in the joint application for World Heritage status.

Archduke Charles II created the breeding ground in 1580, in Lipike – Lipica today –, a part of the then-Habsburg Empire. The noble horses became famous in the Habsburg Imperial courtyard.

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Read alsoLipizzan horse-breeding to become part of World Heritage?

Croatia’s capital launches drive-in testing for coronavirus

Daily News Hungary

A convenient drive-in testing for coronavirus was initiated in Zagreb on Tuesday as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to grow at a steady rate.

The new way of testing at Andrija Stampar Teaching Institute of Public Health would speed up diagnosis and increase the number of tested people here, the Institute said.
The testing will go on through family doctors and patients will be tested without getting off their cars.

Croatia’s National Civil Protection Headquarters announced at a daily briefing 77 new COVID-19 cases with the total number standing at 867.

More than 7,000 people have been tested since the outbreak of coronavirus in Croatia, 611 in the last 24 hours.

So far there have been six confirmed deaths, 32 people are put on a ventilator, and 67 people have been cured.

Health Minister Vili Beros said at the briefing that there is no significant increase of new patients, which indicates that Croatia’s measures against the epidemic are effective. He noted that the health system is returning to a normal mode of functioning after the initial shock caused by the outbreak.

According to the authorities, there hadn’t been a sharp increase of coronavirus patients since a magnitude-5.4 earthquake hit Zagreb on March 22.

After the earthquake, despite the lockdown in the city, thousands of people ran out into the streets and violated social distancing measures.

In the past few days, Croatia has purchased from China more than 20 tons of protective masks, suits, and goggles.

Coronavirus – Hungary, Croatia agree on cross-border commuting

border-hungary-coronavirus

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Sunday that he had agreed with his Croatian counterpart on cross-border commuting in areas near the border.

“Croatian grape farmers from Medimurje (Muraköz) have recently contacted my co-MP and friend Peter Cseresnyes about the border restrictions preventing them from crossing over to Hungary to farm their grapes in Muramente,” Szijjártó said on Facebook.

“And if they do not finish the work now then there certainly won’t be any harvest,” he added.

Szijjártó said he had called his counterpart Gordan Grlic-Radman and they quickly agreed to enable commuting over the border. This is good for the communities living near the border and for the economies of both countries, he added.

“The two police captains will work out the details and spring work can start,” Szijjártó said.

He had also agreed with Slovak economy minister Richard Sulik to reopen a border crossing at Somoskűújfalu in northern Hungary which had been closed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, Hungarians and Slovaks working on the other side of the border, will be able to use the crossing to get to their jobs, Szijjártó said on his Facebook page.

“My co-MP and friend Karoly Becso said in parliament earlier this week that the closure of border-crossing between Hungary and Slovakia had caused them serious problems in Nograd,” he said. “Crops in the region are suffering because workers cannot get across”, he added, stating that an agreement was consequently reached on Friday about reopening the crossing.

“The economies of Hungary and Slovakia are tightly intertwined, our trade turnover was over 10 billion euros last year, so maintaining unhindered links is our common interest,” Szijjártó said.

MOL switches plants to sanitiser production

MOL will also start making sanitiser products at its plants in Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia

Hungarian oil and gas company MOL has repurposed its lubricants unit MOL Lub to make sanitiser in support of measures against novel coronavirus.

MOL said in a statement on Wednesday that in the space of two weeks it had repurposed a production line which earlier made wind shield cleaner fluid to make hand and surface sanitisers.

The plant in Almásfüzítő, in western Hungary, produces around 50,000 litres of sanitiser a day in three shifts.

MOL Lub has already made its first deliveries to hospitals, waste managers, public utilities and municipalities, and is working to launch retail sales of the product as soon as possible.

MOL will also start making sanitiser products at its plants in Slovakia and Croatia, they added.

Orbán offers Hungary’s help to Croatia earthquake relief

zagreb earthquake

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his condolences and offered help to Croatia, which was hit by an earthquake on Sunday morning, the prime minister’s press chief told MTI.

In his letter to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Orbán said he was “saddened” by the reports on the natural disaster, which caused damage and injuries in and around Zagreb.

“I believe that in these trying times it is important for the nations of Central Europe to express their solidarity with one another in every possible way.

On behalf of the Hungarian people, I would like to express my sympathy and offer the assistance of Hungary,” Bertalan Havasi cited Orbán as saying.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó offered his condolences to those injured, and wished them a speedy recovery in a Facebook post. Croatia can count on Hungary’s help in the reconstruction, he said.

House Speaker László Kövér sent a telegram to his Croatian counterpart Gordan Jandrokovic, expressing his sympathies to Croatians who “had to face this fearful natural disaster while living through an epidemic emergency”.

Hungary is ready to provide help to Croatia at this challenging time, the speaker said.

zagreb earthquake
Read alsoOrbán offers Hungary’s help to Croatia earthquake relief