Serbian president to address Budapest Demographic Summit
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be among the speakers to address the fifth Budapest Demographic Summit, President Katalin Novák said on Facebook on Thursday.
Novák thanked Vucic for accepting the invitation to deliver remarks at the summit to be held between September 14 and 15 in Budapest.
Hungarian President noted that the summit, Europe’s largest forum on family policy, will be attended by heads of state and government, decision-makers and experts from around the world.
Get ready: Western fuel prices approaching in Hungary
Of the 8 countries in the region, fuel prices in Hungary are the third highest. The tax increase in January could make matters worse. Overall, we are now in the middle range of the 41 European countries for petrol and diesel prices.
The price of fuel in Hungary is the third highest among the eight countries in the region, Népszava reports. According to the portal, the HUF 41 increase in excise tax from 1 January is likely to push up domestic prices even further in the ranking. As it turns out, out of 41 European countries, the current Hungarian petrol price is the 17th cheapest, while the gasoil tariff is the 23rd cheapest. In other words, the prices of both products are now in the mid-range.
Last week, the average price of a litre of petrol in Hungary was HUF 624 (EUR 1.63), and one litre of diesel was HUF 633 (EUR 1.65).
Meanwhile…
- In Slovakia, the 95 petrol was more than HUF 30 more expensive at HUF 656 (EUR 1.71), but Austria was also significantly more expensive.
- The best rate for fuel is HUF 499 (EUR 1.30) per litre in Ukraine.
- Romania is in second place with HUF 557 (EUR 1.45) per litre, followed in order by Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.
On the gasoil market, Serbia is the most expensive with an average tariff of HUF 653 (EUR 1.70), but Austria is only HUF 2 behind. The cheapest diesel market is also Ukraine, where the average price of HUF 493 (EUR 1.28) per litre is HUF 110 (EUR 0.29) cheaper than in Hungary. The second cheapest is Romania, which is around HUF 60 (EUR 0.16) cheaper than Hungary. Slovenia is next, followed by Slovakia and Croatia, where we can also save around HUF 23 per litre on diesel if we go from Hungary.
Hungary to import gas through Serbia if Ukraine interrupts transit
Serbia will ensure a transit of gas supplies to Hungary if Ukraine should terminate its earlier agreement under which Russian gas is supplied to Hungary via Ukraine, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Sunday.
Péter Szijjártó noted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s talks with the leaders Turkmenistan, Serbia, the Bosnian Serb Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye during the day, and pointed to the importance of close cooperation with central Asia and the Western Balkans. Those ties largely contribute to Hungary’s security from multiple aspects, he added.
“We are in great need of that security, when crises overshadow the everyday life of European countries … close cooperation with countries of central Asia and the Western Balkans will help us cope with the ramifications of those crises,” he said.
Szijjártó stressed that “a fair cooperation with Russia concerning natural gas supplies will help ensure Hungary’s energy security.” Those supplies largely reach Hungary via Ukraine, but “reports in these days suggest that Ukraine wants to terminate its transit agreement with Russia,” he said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is on a working visit to Hungary, has “made it clear that if Hungary wishes to increase gas imports through Serbia, they will ensure the necessary shipping capacities,” Szijjártó said.
“Once again, it has been proven that construction of the Turk Stream pipeline had been a decision of strategic importance,” Szijjártó said.
Szijjártó also noted Turkmenistan’s “political decision” to make Hungary “a destination of possible gas shipments to Europe”. “A political agreement has been signed and now it is up to the companies to negotiate a trade deal,” he added.
Only Eastern autocrats and fallen Western politicians? Orbán met with several former and incumbent leaders
Hungarian press slammed PM Viktor Orbán that he would only meet with Eastern autocrats like Central Asian country heads, the President of Türkiye and Serbia, and fallen Western politicians like the former Slovenian prime minister, Janez Jansa, or Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s former chancellor. And it seems no EU or NATO heavyweight leaders will come to Hungary during the third greatest international sports event, the World Athletics Championships.
Orbán holds talks with Azeri president
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at a working visit in his office in Budapest on Sunday, Orbán’s press chief said. The talks focused on subjects linked to the security of Hungary and Europe, Bertalan Havasi said. The sides discussed issues linked to energy supplies, physical security, including the war in Ukraine, and steps required to combat economic difficulties, he added.
Similarly to earlier talks with the Turkmen president, energy supplies were a highlighted topic, he said. Hungary is receiving 100 million cubic metres of natural gas from Azerbaijan this year and an agreement has been signed on the storage of 50 million cubic metres of gas in Hungary, also, with physical gas transport links having been established between the two countries, he added. Aliyev is scheduled to attend events of the August 20 national holiday and the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Havasi said.
Orbán meets Kyrgyzstan leader at working visit
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held bilateral talks with President of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov in his office in Budapest on Sunday, Orbán’s press chief said. The sides at the meeting were in agreement that the dynamic political dialogue between their respsective countries offered a good foundation and helped further strengthen cooperation, Bertalan Havasid said. Hungary remains dedicated to continuing these efforts, he added.
They also established that the opening of a Kyrgyz embassy in Budapest and the start of visa issuance at the Hungarian embassy in Bishkek fulfilled expectations, he said. These steps significantly contribute to the development of friendly relations between the people of Hungary and Kyrgyzstan, he added.
Read also:
- PHOTOS, VIDEOS: Air show and Europe’s biggest fireworks in Budapest
- Almost 900 drones to entertain the public today in Budapest – Read more HERE
Orbán meets Serbian President Vucic
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is on a working visit in Hungary, Orbán’s press chief said. The sides reviewed political and economic relations between Hungary and Serbia, the situation concerning Western Balkans integration in the European Union, action against illegal migration and joint projects in energy and infrastructure, Bertalan Havasi said. Vucic is scheduled to attend the August 20 national holiday celebrations and visit the World Athletics Championships under way in Budapest, he added.
Orban discusses energy security with Turkmen president
Prime Minister Viktor Orban held talks on Sunday with President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow who is on a working visit in Budapest, Orban’s press chief said. The meeting had special importance for Hungary’s energy security because consultations are under way with Turkmenistan about a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement, Bertalan Havasi said. An important element of the agreement is that Hungary could be one of the target countries of Turkmen gas exports in the future, he added.
The sides were in agreement that there are untapped opportunities in Hungary-Turkmenistan cooperation in the areas of health care, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food industry, water management, education, and culture, Havasi said. Berdimuhamedow congratulated to the Hungarian people on the occasion of the Aug. 20 national holiday.
Orbán holds talks with Bosnian leaders
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with Zeljka Cvijanovic, the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Milorad Dodik, President of the Republika Srpska, in his office on Sunday, Orbán’s press chief said. Orbán said at the meeting that relations between Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as between Hungary and the Republika Srpska were excellent adding that “we make every effort to increase cooperation, as reflected by projects already started,” Bertalan Havasi said. The three leaders discussed the enhanced measures taken against illegal migration, the strategic importance of the Western Balkans, and its role in securing the stability of Europe, he added.
Orbán: Budapest is a must-visit city
The World Athletics Championships and other similar top sporting events send a message to the world that Budapest is “must-visit” city, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public radio on Friday.
Orbán said sports events were a boon economically but more importantly focused the world’s attention on the host country.
After hosting a string of top events over the past few years, Hungary is now “within arm’s reach of hosting a Champions League Final“, he added, thanking the organisers and volunteers for their work.
Meanwhile, the prime minister noted that he will host a dozen official bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the athletics championships and the 20 August national holiday, referring to meetings with the Turkish president, the Serbian president and the Emir of Qatar and “political friends” from Central Asia region such as Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Meetings will also take place with business representatives from all over the world, largely from western Europe and China, he said.
Hungarian police after head of people-smuggling ring
The police are after the head of a ring that smuggled at least 13 groups of people from Serbia to Hungary and helped them to reach Austria in 2021, investigators told MTI in a statement on Thursday.
The Iraqi national managed the operations of a 16-member gang from abroad, the police statement said.
The illegal migrants they smuggled into Hungary paid EUR 500 each for a trip from Serbia to Austria. According to the police’s findings, the organisers earned profits of over HUF 13 million (EUR 33,600) from some 150 migrants.
Shots fired, explosion on the Serbian-Hungarian border
Shots were fired on Tuesday night on the southern side of the Hungarian border fence near Hajdújárás (Hajdukovo), Serbia. Locals say there was an explosion as well. The cause of it is not yet known.
According to Magyar Nemzet, this is the second shooting in the mainly Hungarian village this week. The first one was on Monday. Based on official information, two migrants were injured and one was killed in Monday’s shootings.
The news portal reports that the explosion was also heard in the surrounding villages of Palics (Palić) and Ludas (Šupljak). Locals informed the police.
You can read HERE how guest workers caused some problems in a well-known Hungarian spa.
Featured image: Illustration (Pixabay)
Minister Szijjártó in UN ECOSOC: Hungary ranked 22nd in meeting sustainable development goals
Mankind will only have a chance to preserve the planet for future generations by preventing the re-emergence of divisive blocs in the world, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at a high-level meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York on Monday.
In his address, Szijjártó noted that the world had recently undergone two major shocks in the form of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
The global security situation is the worst it has been in the last 80 years, the minister said. He argued that the threat of terrorism was greater than ever before and that the world was “witnessing the most open and most shameless reference to nuclear capacities, while the chance for the outbreak of the third world war is more imminent than ever”.
These security challenges threaten the re-emergence of divisive blocs in the world and could divert attention from the problem of preserving the planet, Szijjártó said. He said these challenges constituted a “vicious circle”, as divisive blocs would make it impossible to overcome environmental and climate-related challenges.
Referring to a “regional partnership group established by Serbia and Hungary”, Szijjártó urged the international community on behalf of both countries “to make a decision based on common sense”.
“And instead of dividing the world into blocs again, let’s enter the era of connectivity,” he said, adding that connectivity would promote mutually beneficial global cooperation based on mutual respect.
The minister said Hungary and Serbia served as a good example of how a past hostile relationship could be “converted into a friendship and strategic partnership”.
Though Hungary and Serbia could have chosen to be isolated from each other, their leaders understood that connectivity was beneficial for both countries, Szijjártó said.
Meanwhile, the minister said Hungary had emerged stronger from all of the recent crises thanks to its national responses to them. Hungary responded to the financial crisis with tax cuts, to the migration crisis with stronger border protection, to the economic crisis with investment promotion schemes, and to the energy crisis with the recognition that energy supply is a physical rather than a political or ideological matter, Szijjártó said.
He welcomed that these response measures had enabled Hungary to contribute to meeting the UN’s sustainable development targets. Citing the UN’s sustainability report, he said, Hungary ranked 22nd and Serbia 36th in meeting sustainable development goals.
Water and energy security are among the two most important issues and Hungary is committed resolving the challenges related to them, he said.
Concerning water shortages, Szijjártó highlighted the importance of technology, noting that water management solutions developed by Hungary were being used in many parts of the world. Water security is also critical for preventing the emergence of more migration waves, he added.
As regards the energy crisis, Szijjártó said the key question was how to reduce the environmental impact of energy production. He said the “obvious answer” was nuclear energy because it was a safe, cheap and sustainable way of producing electricity. He said the debate about nuclear energy had been based on emotions on many international platforms, but expressed hope that the UN “will continue to serve as a platform which is rational”.
Serbian authorities comply with Viktor Orbán’s request
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has informed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that in line with his request, Serbian authorities will soon release the three Kosovan policemen apprehended earlier this month, the foreign minister told MTI on Monday.
We reported earlier that Orbán made his request at a meeting with Vucic in Palic, in northern Serbia, last week. He told a press conference after the meeting that Hungary was carefully following the situation in Kosovo, and “sees the harm suffered by Serbs.” At the same time, he said that releasing the policemen apprehended in Serbia territory “would help Serbia’s position in international politics.” Vucic responded as saying that the issue was in the hands of Serbia’s judiciary system.
Péter Szijjártó told MTI that Orbán highly appreciated the decision the Serbian president had taken at a time of serious challenges. The decision is clear proof of the deep friendship between the Serbian and Hungarian nation and the strategic cooperation between the two countries, he said.
The foreign minister’s Facebook post on the matter:
Hungarian leaders from Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia met at the Adriatic
Hungarian parties beyond the border must represent the interests of the Hungarians who want to prosper in their homeland, János Árpád Potápi, state secretary for Hungarian communities beyond the border, said at a Carpathian Basin roundtable held on Saturday in Rijeka (Fiume).
Potápi said it was agreed at the roundtable that the chief achievement of national community policy of the past 13 years had been strengthening Hungarian communities in the Carpathian Basin. He said central Europe, including Hungarians of the Carpathian Basin, had confronted a tough situation in the wake of the epidemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war and European sanctions, “and responses to challenges must be found together”.
All these factors would have had a far worse effect had these communities not pulled together, he said. Also, census data, he added, indicated that Hungarian populations were dwindling in all regions beyond the border as well as in Hungary. “Without our work, the rates [of deterioration] would be far worse,” he said. Potápi noted that throughout the Carpathian Basin, “very important elections” were coming up, “and we must work together to make sure that Hungarian parties do well…”
Attending the roundtable at the headquarters of the Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia (HMDK) were Hunor Kelemen, leader of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), István Pásztor of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ), László Brenzovics of the Cultural Alliance of Hungarians in Sub-Carpathia (KMKSZ), Hungarian Community Party, Róbert Jankovics of the HMDK and Orbán Dusan of the Hungarian Self-Governing Ethnic Community of Pomurje, as well as staff of the State Secretariat for Hungarian Communities Abroad who maintain contacts with these leaders on a daily basis.
Orbán asks Serbian president to release Kosovan policemen
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday asked Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to consider releasing the three Kosovan policemen apprehended in Serbian territory last week, at a press conference after a meeting of Hungarian and Serbian heads of state and government in Palic, in northern Serbia.
Orbán said Hungary was carefully following the situation in Kosovo, and “sees the harm suffered by Serbs.” Orbán called it unacceptable that the international community should recognise an election as legitimate with a mere 4 percent turnout.
At the same time, he said that releasing the policemen “would help Serbia’s position in international politics.”
Vucic responded that the issue was in the hands of Serbia’s judiciary system.
Regarding the two countries’ relations, Orbán said: “As soon as Hungary and Serbia realised that they cannot be held hostage by history, their relations started developing.”
“A defining topic worldwide today is who is not cooperating with whom and why. Decoupling and derisking are the dominant words of international politics. We are setting a good example by striving to cooperate with as many countries as possible, rather than talking about who we do not want to work with,” Orbán said.
Orbán said the good relations were rooted in common features of the two nations. “Serbs have freedom, sovereignty and independence in their DNA, the same way Hungarians do.”
That “shared DNA” is at the root of the respect Hungarians show towards Serbia, he added.
Orbán praised his ties with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, saying they had met for the 32th time today. “Friendship and alliance in politics is only achievable with hard work,” he said.
Meanwhile, the differences between the two nations are valuable assets in cooperation, he said: “Serbia is not a NATO member like Hungary. Serbia is not an EU member like Hungary. Serbia is an Orthodox Catholic country, Hungary is Roman Catholic. Serbia is situated on the Balkans, while Hungary is in central Europe.” Strategic cooperation between them is expected to be hugely beneficial for both parties, he said.
The delegations of Hungary and Serbia signed 12 agreements during the meeting in Palic. The documents pertained to the foundation of the Hungarian-Serbian Strategic Cooperation Council, cooperation in foreign affairs, border protection, the construction of an oil pipeline between the two countries, European integration, the protection and exchange of confidential data, infrastructure, agriculture, defence and customs.
Orbán: Well-regulated, well-developed Serbia in Hungary’s interest
Hungary has a vested interest in a well-regulated, well-developed Serbia, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said.
“As soon as Hungary and Serbia realised that they cannot be held hostage by history, their relations started developing,” Orbán told a press conference after the founding session of a Hungary-Serbia strategic cooperation council.
“A defining topic worldwide today is who is not cooperating with whom and why. Decoupling and derisking are the dominant words of international politics. We are setting a good example by striving to cooperate with as many countries as possible, rather than talking about who we do not want to work with,” Orbán said.
Deal signed on new Hungary-Serbia oil pipeline, relations in ‘golden age’
With a view to boosting energy security, an agreement has been signed on building a new oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia, and a regional JV natural gas trading company will be set by MVM and Srbijagas, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Palic on Tuesday.
The ministry cited Szijjártó telling a Hungary–Serbia strategic council meeting that the construction of the new pipeline to link Algyő with Novi Sad (Újvidék) was perhaps the most important agreement between the two countries ever. He added that the new regional natural gas trading company of MVM and Srbijagas would start operations in the autumn.
“The more resources, the more routes and the more cooperation, the greater energy security,” he said.
“Hungary’s energy security would be unimaginable today without Serbia, and the same is true the other way round,” he said. “The majority of Hungary’s natural gas supplies arrive through Serbia and we keep in storage over a hundred million cubic metres on behalf of Serbia,” he added.
He told the strategic council that Europe’s “most modern, largest and most gleaming border crossing” will be established between Röszke and Horgos, adding that it would be one of the largest joint projects of all time.
Szijjártó said cooperation could also enter a new dimension in foreign policy, with Hungary signing an agreement on setting up a joint foreign representative office with another country for the first time, enabling the expansion of the diplomatic network for both countries.
Serbia’s embassy in Kinshasa in Congo will host the Hungarian representation and Hungary’s embassy in Valletta in Malta will host Serbia’s mission, he said. The programme will be continued in order to have representation most effectively in most places around the world, he added.
Szijjártó also said that economic cooperaton had broken several records, citing investments by Hungarian companies in Serbia, trade reaching EUR 6 billion last year, and an economic development programme for Vojvodina which supported 14,200 companies with a total of HUF 171 billion last year.
Several contracts are scheduled to be signed at the meeting, including a declaration of intent on building a new oil pipeline between the two countries, an agreement on the exchange and protection of certified data, a cooperation agreement on the policing of foreigners and an agreement on the opening of a joint representation office in Kinshasa. Additionally, the agreements on border controls on public roads, railways and waterways will be amended.
President Novák: New chapter opens in Hungary-Serbia relations
A new chapter has been reached in the “golden age of Hungary-Serbia relations”, President Katalin Novák said on Tuesday.
Novák told a press conference that the founding of a Hungary-Serbia strategic cooperation council demonstrated that instead of making tactical decisions, Hungarian-Serbia friendship and cooperation are planned to be developed in the long-term.
Twelve working teams have been set up and their work is expected to bring some tangible results, she said. Among the topics discussed at a Tuesday meeting of the council, she highlighted the Russia-Ukraine war, the stability of the Western Balkans, the issue of Serbia’s European Union accession and demographics.
She said that Hungary-Serbia relations were characterised by the mutual respect between two freedom-loving and sovereign nations.
Commenting on the Ukraine war, she said the aim was to reach a ceasefire and peace agreement as soon as possible. She added that this must not distract attention from the Western Balkans, the stability of which is key to Europe’s stability. Peace and security are needed also in the Western Balkans, she added.
Commenting on Serbia’s EU accession, she said Serbia had submitted its membership application in 2009 and talks have been under way since 2014. Since then, Serbia has proven several times that it belongs to Europe, she added. She added that even before Serbia joined the Schengen Area, Hungary would like to simplify border crossing between the two countries.
She also said that cooperation between Serbia and Hungary was being increased in the fight against the “demographic winter”. Hungary is ready to offer its experiences to Serbia also in this area, she added. In response to a question, Novák said that a demographic summit would be held in Budapest on September 14-15 and Serbia counterpart Aleksandar Vucic had already confirmed his plan to participate.
Novák expressed sympathy in connection with recent shootings and floods in Serbia, and the events in Kosovo.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the 12 agreements signed by Hungary and Serbia would “make life easier on both sides”.
Budapest-Belgrade ties “are at a historic peak”, he said, adding this was true of political and economic relations and person-to-person relationships.
Vucic highlighted new agreements on defence and security, adding that Hungary’s membership of NATO and Serbia’s neutrality was not an obstacle to cooperation, which had “reached the level where this is, and defence cooperation can still be successful”.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic called today’s agreements and the establishment of the Hungarian-Serbian Strategic Cooperation Council “of historic importance for Serbia”, adding that Serbia enjoys cooperation on such a high level only with Hungary.
The first joint Hungarian-Serbian government meeting was held in Belgrade in 2014, she noted, adding that bilateral relations had grown closer ever since.
Hungary helps flood-stricken Serbia
Hungary is offering aid to Serbia which is being threatened by floods, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Sunday on his Facebook page.
“Our Serbian friends have been hit by serious floods in recent days, the rain just would not stop. That is why today we had a telephone conversation with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Sinisa Mali, to whom I offered Hungary’s help, since, unfortunately, we also have experience with these types of natural challenges,” Szijjártó said.
“My Serbian colleague informed me that it finally stopped raining today, so they are now assessing the situation. We are waiting for their response tomorrow, meanwhile we are ready to help,” he added.
Border fence around Hungary reinforced and extended
The fence along Hungary’s border with Serbia has been reinforced and extended, a state secretary of the interior ministry said at the Röszke crossing station on Tuesday.
Bence Rétvári said a 10 kilometre section had been added to an earlier fence of 165 kilometres in the Hercegszántó area. He added that the new section was protecting a marshy area “which had not seen many illegal entries earlier, but people smugglers discovered that new route last summer”.
So far, the Hungarian government has spent HUF 650 billion (EUR 1.8 billion) on building and maintaining its border seal, the state secretary said. “While Hungary also protects the European Union’s common border, the EU in fact does not contribute to border control costs and has only refunded one percent,” he insisted.
Rétvári said illegal migrants were “often equipped with knives and slings, and there were some in recent months coming with tear gas on them”. He insisted that migrants “well educated by rights groups” would “record police actions with their cameras so that they could later file a complaint against those enforcing the law”.
Despite the European Commission’s “countless” procedures, Hungary will “keep relentlessly guarding the southern border, return illegal entrants and detain and prosecute people smugglers”, he said.
György Bakondi, chief security advisor to the prime minister, said Hungary’s authorities had apprehended over 55,000 illegal entrants since the beginning of the year, adding that the total number had exceeded 965,000 since 2015. He said there was constant pressure on the border with Serbia, while migrant activities had increased on the borders with Romania, Croatia, and Slovenia, too. He said illegal migrants were now arriving exclusively with people smugglers, 448 of whom were detained in the first half of the year.
Hungarian and Serbian police jointly patrol both sides of the common border, while Hungary provides support to controlling the Serbia-North Macedonia border, too, Bakondi said.
Last year, migrants attacked the Hungarian border 304 times, assaulting patrol officers, damaging vehicles or the fence, with 97 shooting incidents on the Serbian side, Bakondi said. Since the beginning of 2023, there have been 56 attacks and 13 shots fired, he added.
Crossing the Hungarian-Croatian, Hungarian-Serbian borders changes fundamentally
Traffic will change at the southern “gate” of Hungary, the Serbian-Hungarian border crossing near Röszke. Furthermore, you will be able to cross the Croatian-Hungarian border faster soon.
According to Pénzcentrum, border check will change at the busiest Hungarian-Serbian border crossing station near Röszke. That is because authorities will check EU and third-country individuals in different lanes. Police told press they will introduce the new border check system on 26 June. Signs above the gates will show motorists which lane they can use. The reason is international agreements and police expect the border control process will become quicker thanks to the change. If experience supports the idea, the temporary modification will become constant.
Meanwhile, Hungarian and Croatian authorities began dismantling the border crossing station buildings at the Croatian-Hungarian border near Letenye. As a result, drivers can cross the border without reducing speed. Furthermore, lorries will not have to leave the M7 motorway, napi.hu said. Work started on 12 April, and the buildings had been dismantled by mid-May. Furthermore, by the beginning of the touristic season, the road will be renewed to help motorists. Croatia joined the Schengen Zone this January.
Hungary sends new police unit to Serbia
The Hungarian police force has sent a 35-strong unit to Serbia to assist local forces in border protection, the police’s official website said on Tuesday.
The Hungarian officers will mostly patrol the border to prevent and investigate illegal border entries, and will cooperate with local forces in arresting people smugglers and illegal migrants, the statement said.
The contingent will also patrol roads farther from the border, it added.
The Hungarian officers will use their own equipment, which includes off-road vehicles, night vision devices and mobile infra-red cameras, police.hu said.
VIDEO: Serbian protesters in Kosovo cheer Viktor Orbán
During Monday’s unrest in northern Kosovo, there was a moment when Serbian protesters loudly cheered Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s Prime Minister.
In the video below, from 04:02, you can hear the crowd chanting “Ajmo Orbane”, which means “Go Orbán!”
Hvg.hu mentions that it is hard to decide whether the cheering was due to the Hungarian government’s policy regarding Serbia or to the Hungarian flag on the plexiglass shield of one of the NATO soldiers facing the protesters.
The unrest erupted after several Serb-inhabited areas of Kosovo refused to recognise the results of the April by-elections for local government.
The protests escalated, and after a while, enraged Serbs attacked NATO soldiers, including Hungarians, who were carrying out policing duties. Meanwhile, on the Kosovo-Serbian border, the Serbian army was deployed. The Albanian authorities in Kosovo are pushing for the appointment of Albanian mayors, despite opposition from the EU and the US.
One Hungarian soldier needs surgery as unrest continues in Kosovo – videos
During the riots in Kosovo, 20 Hungarians were injured, four of them had to be hospitalised for shrapnel injuries. One soldier needed urgent operation.
Kosovo riots, Hungarian injured
On Monday afternoon, the soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces, who are part of the NATO peacekeeping force, were deployed for crowd dispersal duties at the mayor’s office of the Kosovo municipality of Zvecan. The crowd was protesting against the outcome of the previous elections.
The clashes erupted when Hungarian peacekeepers tried to disperse protesting Serbs who were demonstrating against the Albanian leaders elected as heads of municipalities in Kosovo. KFOR also fired tear gas and Serbs threw stones and bottles at the peacekeepers.
As we reported, 20 Hungarian soldiers were injured in the Kosovo dispersal, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Hungarians in hospital
“Our ambassador to Pristina, József Bencze, has just visited four Hungarian soldiers in the US hospital who are currently receiving medical treatment for shrapnel injuries. One of them had to undergo surgery, but fortunately none of them is in a life-threatening condition,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote on his Facebook page.
The Hungarian National Guard announced on its social media page that a plane specially designed for medical care departed from Kecskemét late on Monday evening, index.hu reports.
NATO commander spoke out
KFOR commander Angelo Michele Ristuccia described the attacks as deplorable. He also stressed that NATO would continue to carry out its mandate impartially.
According to the latest news, in addition to the 20 Hungarians, 52 Serbs were injured, three of them seriously.
According to Népszava, The Free Europe footage shows, among other things, angry Serbs hitting and throwing sticks at NATO peacekeepers defending themselves with shields. The sound of gunfire is also clearly audible. At the 12th second, a soldier can be heard shouting in Hungarian: “I’m wounded!”
Another footage shows Hungarian soldiers warning each other that the crowd is throwing bottles and lighting flares at them.
Serbs fighting for their existence in Kosovo against Albanians and NATO today in Kosovska Mitrovica.
Kosovo, was stolen from Serbia after NATO bombing them for 78 days and nights in 1999 destroying the whole country but Serbs will never give up their land.
Kosovo is Serbia 🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/mzs482wB2k— Susann (@ZenWorld16) May 29, 2023