Vienna Five – Szijjártó: Austria successfully worked with eastern neighbours in protection
Austria and its eastern neighbours held several consultations during the novel coronavirus epidemic, and these successful talks helped the countries to institute effective protective measures, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday after meeting his Austrian, Czech, Slovak and Slovene counterparts.
At a joint press conference of the Vienna Five informal grouping, Szijjártó said
central European countries had successfully worked together to introduce protective measures against the virus, and they have decided to maintain their cooperation amid upsurges in several neighbouring countries.
Commenting on the upcoming EU summit, he urged the fair distribution of European Union resources in the next seven-year budget period. He said
richer states and countries that acted irresponsibly during the crisis by driving up their debts should not receive preferential treatment, he added.
Szijjártó said “it must not be allowed that EU funds get cheated from Hungary on a subjective basis”. The distribution of funds must be objective since Hungary has fulfilled all obligation criteria of receiving the funding due, Szijjártó said.
The aim of economic protection is clearly to protect jobs and create at least as many jobs as they have lost. This must be not only a Hungarian but also a European endeavour.
He noted that Hungary’s trade turnover with the other four Vienna Five states amounted to 34.5 billion euros last year, one-sixth of the country’s total foreign trade.
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President: Hungary, Slovenia handled epidemic well
Hungary and Slovenia are both among the European Union member states with the lowest number of novel coronavirus cases and fatalities relative to their respective population sizes, President János Áder said after talks with his Slovenian counterpart in Budapest on Thursday.
The timely and effective measures introduced in the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic had a substantial impact in both countries, Áder told a press conference he held jointly with Borut Pahor at the Sándor Palace.
“We discussed the economic impact of the epidemic in the two countries and the steps we intend to take on our own and as members of the EU in order to overcome the harmful effects [of the epidemic] as soon as possible,” the president added.
In response to a question, Áder noted that travel restrictions between the two countries have been lifted completely.
“Life in Hungary has returned to normal; people aren’t afraid, and they’re making use of services as they did before the crisis,” Áder said.
Read alsoEconomic protection key common task for Hungary, Slovenia
“We were also in agreement that protecting Europe’s external borders is of key importance, as is stopping illegal migration,” he said.
The two leaders described both their personal relationship and ties between their two countries as “very good”. Talks touched on continuing bilateral cooperation on regional economic development and improving infrastructure links between their border regions, they said.
“We’re committed to preserving our natural assets,” Áder said. “We are close to the completion of a biosphere reserve along the Drava, Mura and Danube rivers,” he said, noting that the project had been initiated by Hungary and Croatia, and was later joined by Austria, Slovenia and Serbia. The countries involved hope to advance the procedure of having the reserve recognised by UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural body.
Áder said he and Pahor had also discussed the Trianon Peace Treaty under which Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory to neighbouring countries after the first world war. The president underscored that Hungary had always complied with every international treaty and would continue to do so.
He highlighted education, the support of businesses and infrastructure development as key areas of cooperation between Hungary and Slovenia.
Read alsoPresident: Hungary, Slovenia handled epidemic well
“The regional economic development model launched ten years ago in the Raba region has been successful,” Áder said, adding that expanding the scheme was in Hungary and Slovenia’s shared interest. Support for the Slovenian minority in the region has quadrupled over the past ten years, he said.
Pahor said Slovenia was “proud” of having “successfully and swiftly” handled the crisis situation resulting from the novel coronavirus, adding that his country offered a safe and welcoming destination for Hungarian tourists.
Pahor told the joint press conference that he understood there was an impending second wave of the virus. “But we hope to have a more sensitive approach to the issue, and understanding that the crisis is not yet over may contribute to the success of handling a second wave,” he added.
Economic protection key common task for Hungary, Slovenia
With the coronavirus epidemic subsiding, protecting the economy has become the most important common task for Hungary and Slovenia, the foreign minister said after talks with Slovenia’s minister of economic development and technology in Budapest.
Addressing a joint press conference with Zdravo Pocivalsek, Péter Szijjártó said that economic cooperation between Hungary and Slovenia was on a strong footing, contributing to the success of their economies.
Read alsoEconomic protection key common task for Hungary, Slovenia
The pandemic has shown how much the two countries depend on one another, he said, adding that Hungary and Slovenia had maintained close contact during the epidemic.
In terms of future cooperation, Szijjártó said strengthening energy security was one of the most urgent tasks. The two countries will link their power grids by the end of 2021 which will be followed by connecting their gas pipelines later on.
The bilateral agreement on the gas pipeline development has already been concluded, Szijjártó said, noting that the Slovenian cabinet has declared it a strategic priority project.
The two countries have also agreed to draft a joint economic development strategy for the Mura and Raba region, the foreign minister said.
In terms of economic cooperation, Szijjártó welcomed that the annual bilateral trade turnover has exceed 2.5 billion euros, noting that Slovenia was an important market for Hungarian businesses. He noted the 360 million euro credit line opened by the Hungarian government to support bilateral business cooperation as well as the government’s 2.4 billion forint (EUR 6.8m) grant that has so far supported 651 Slovenian entrepreneurs and farmers under the Mura region economic development programme.
Hungary is ready to further expand cooperation as the governments of both countries have a policy to protect national interests for which both are expected to face “fierce international attacks”, he said.
Read alsoSlovenia sends police officers to Greece to help seal border
Pocivalsek praised improving bilateral ties, saying that Slovenia considers Hungary an important economic partner. He said he saw room for boosting bilateral trade and highlighted opportunities for cooperation in the areas of energy and rail link development.
He also highlighted the significance of the joint development of self-driving vehicles.
Both the Slovenian and Hungarian economies rely heavily on the car industry and developments in the industry involve cooperation possibilities for both countries, he added.
He expressed agreement with the Hungarian government about the protection of jobs being vitally important and said that consumption must be encouraged to promote recovery. The development of border regions contributes to this process, he said, and thanked Hungary for its financial support of the Mura region.
He also praised the improvement of tourism links and expressed hope that Slovenia will receive more guests from Hungary if the tourism season gets extended for the whole of the year. He said Hungary could participate in the international fair in Celje even if it is not held this September as originally planned but gets postponed until 2021.
Pocivalsek thanked Hungary for its help during the epidemic and said Slovenia, too, was open to developing bilateral relations because being a small country, it understands that better results can be achieved by joining forces.
Orbán to participate in online conference with Serbian, Slovenian leaders
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will participate in an online conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa next Wednesday, according to a Fidesz official.
The conference Europe without Censorship will be streamed on Orban’s Facebook page, Katalin Novák, a deputy leader of ruling Fidesz, told commercial broadcaster InfoRadio on Monday.
The English-language conference aims to show what leaders “who enjoy an overwhelming majority” in their countries “truly think of Europe … without the distortion of translations,” Novák said.
Due to the pandemic, endeavours by Fidesz and the European People’s Party to iron out their differences have been set back, Novák said. “Even then, some have kept on trying to find a way to expel Fidesz from the party,” she added.
EPP leader Donald Tusk, she said, had partnered with people who were determined “to divide the party family”.
“International forums are not used to clear, straight talking,” she said, explaining negative views of Fidesz abroad. Novák insisted such people were “unhappy Hungary’s national interests are being successfully asserted.”
Regarding family support, Novak said the government is spending 2,300 billion forints (EUR 6.5bn) on subsidies this year, two and a half times the sum that went towards the same goal in 2010.
During the pandemic, the Hungarian government has expanded support for families, she said. Applications were simplified and deadlines pushed back to ease their burden, she said.
The allowance for mothers of newborn babies will be raised to 100 percent of the mother’s gross salary from July next year, leaving mothers with more money in the first half year of the baby’s life, she added.
More international train services resuming from July
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.
Read alsoA new start for the Hungarian railway industry? Hungarian-made wagons to run in Egypt! – video
Inspections lifted at Hungary border with Austria, Slovakia
Inspections at Hungary’s border crossing points with Austria and Slovakia have been lifted, a spokesman for the operative board coordinating Hungary’s response to the coronavirus epidemic said on Monday.
Under the measure that took effect on Friday, Hungarian police may check travellers within the country, Róbert Kiss told an online press conference
Inspections, however, will continue at crossing points at Rédics and Tornyiszentmiklós on the Hungarian-Slovenian border, he said.
Since March 17, Hungary has allowed over 590,000 passengers and 155,000 cargo vehicles to cross in international transit traffic its border with Slovakia.
The number of passenger transits at the Hungarian-Austrian border stands at over 1 million and of cargo vehicles 67,000 since March 12, he said.
Speaking at the same press conference, the chief medical officer said
the coronavirus epidemic in Hungary has reached a stage of nearing the end of its first phase.
Speaking about the curve of the epidemic, Cecília Müller noted that the first case of Covid-19 infection was confirmed during the 10th week of the year and the number of confirmed cases gradually increased by the 23rd week. A peak of registered cases, 712, was reached on the 15th week, she said.
The first death occurred on week 11 and the largest number of Covid-19 related deaths occurred on the 16th week, Müller said.
Is the image of Hungary in surrounding countries improving? – survey
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.
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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
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.
11 European countries make arrangements for reopening of borders!
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.
Read also11 European countries make arrangements for reopening of borders!
Coronavirus – Hungarian government accepts donation, also pledges further help to CEE countries
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.
Read alsoCoronavirus in Hungary – 31 million masks, 133,000 tests received from China
Lipizzan horse-breeding to become part of World Heritage?
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.
Read alsoThe most famous Hungarian animals to be proud of – PHOTOS
Read alsoLipizzan horse-breeding to become part of World Heritage?
Coronavirus – Freight traffic between Hungary, Slovenia ongoing under strict control
Road freight traffic between Hungary and Slovenia is still ongoing, albeit with tight control mechanisms in place, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Ljubljana on Monday, after talks with his counterpart, Anze Logar.
Hungary still allows freight traffic headed for Hungary as “they bring goods and provide important services for Hungarians”. Trucks heading for neighbouring countries are restricted to specific motorways, and obliged to use specific fuel stations, he said.
Slovenia has shown full understanding towards the restrictions, Szijjártó said.
The ban on non-Hungarians from entering the country helps protect Hungarians’ health as well as that of citizens of the neighbouring countries, he said.
Cooperation between Hungary and Slovenia has so far been “about missed opportunities”, Szijjártó said. However, the Hungarian government hopes that ties may be strengthened with the new Slovenian cabinet, which “would greatly benefit both Hungarians and Slovenians”.
“Hopefully, dialogue between the two countries will soon be determined by much more optimistic topics such as integrating our energy supply systems and opening new roads,” Szijjártó said.
Read alsoSlovenian president nominates Janez Jansa as candidate for PM
Slovenia sends police officers to Greece to help seal border
Slovenia deployed 35 police officers as part of a Frontex rapid border intervention team to Greece to help the country deal with an increased influx of migrants, after Turkey had decided to open its border with Greece.
Interior Minister Bostjan Poklukar said the EU’s reaction to the development has been rapid compared with the 2015 crisis, and Greece has been handling the situation well so far, according to the Slovenian Press Agency STA.
Read alsoEU leaders express unity in dealing with migrant flows after visiting Greek-Turkish border
A total of 530 members of Frontex, the EU border protection agency, have been already deployed to Greece, including two Slovenians. Frontex is expected to mobilize an additional 100 experts and necessary vehicles.
Read alsoSlovenia sends police officers to Greece to help seal border
Poklukar said the current situation on the external Schengen border in Slovenia is under control. He stressed that in the case of no joint EU solutions, the country is adamant about protecting its border against a new influx of migrants by using the police and armed forces.
Slovenian police discovered 30 migrants hidden in sealed wagons of a train on Tuesday.
Slovenian president nominates Janez Jansa as candidate for PM
Slovenian President Borut Pahor has nominated Janez Jansa, leader of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) as candidate for prime minister after four parties had reached an agreement on forming a center-right coalition.
Pahor said he was glad the period of political uncertainty was so short following the resignation of Marjan Sarec as prime minister in late January, the Slovenian Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
He called on the political stakeholders to engage in dialogue and refrain from excluding anyone, while pledging to work together with the government in his capacity as president.
“I want this cooperation to be constructive and for the benefit of our country and all the people,” he said.
Jansa said the coalition agreement showed that the four parties were willing to seek compromise solutions and would work to tackle the most pressing issues that Slovenia faces. However, he also acknowledged that it was impossible to achieve everything that had to be done in the two and a half years until the next scheduled election.
The SDS, the Modern Centre Party (SMC), the New Slovenia party (NSi) and the Democratic Party of Pensioners (DeSUS) have reached an agreement on forming a coalition,
the head of the SDS Deputy Group, Danijel Krivec, said on Tuesday. The four parties can count on a slim but comfortable majority in the parliament, which has to vote on Jansa’s nomination in seven days at the latest.
Former Prime Minister Sarec resigned and called for new elections on Jan. 27.
He said his minority government could not push through important legislation.
Slovenian PM resigns, calls for snap election
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Marjan Sarec on Monday announced his resignation and called for a snap election in the European country, the official news agency STA reported.
During a press conference in the capital Ljubljana, Sarec said he was resigning as he was unable to achieve his aims within the current form of the minority government.
“With 13 MPs and this coalition, I can not fulfill the expectations of the people at the moment, but I can fulfil them after elections,” STA quoted Sarec as saying.
His resignation comes after Slovenia‘s Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj stepped down earlier on Monday over differences regarding health insurance.
The ruling center-left minority coalition led by Sarec held only 43 of 90 seats in parliament after losing the support of the opposition Left Party in November.
Croatia-Slovenia border crossing re-opens after false bomb alarm
The border crossing between Croatia and Slovenia has re-opened after a bomb threat that stopped traffic on Friday morning turned out to be a false alarm.
Slovenian news website 24ur reported on Friday that police discovered an explosive device on a bus, and that a passenger suitcase was isolated and a Russian suspect detained.
According to Croatia news portal Telegram.hr, the suspicious device was a piano-tuning device.
The report said the police had confirmed that the Russian citizen who was traveling on a bus is a pianist carrying this device in his suitcase.
Due to a bomb threat, traffic at the Obrezje-Bregana border crossing was suspended for about an hour.
Largest heroin seizure of the last 20 years in Hungary! – VIDEOS
Police officers seized one of the largest amounts (69.1 kg) of heroin shipment in Budapest. Within the framework of international cooperation, Slovene authorities already seized 661 kg out of the amount of 730 kilograms. The black market worth of the high purity drug shipment exceeds EUR 52.2m (17.5 billion HUF).
The Drug Crime Division of the National Bureau of Investigation of the Rapid Response and Special Police Services (KR NNI) conducts an investigation against Richárd K. (47) from Budapest for the reasonable suspicion of having trafficked narcotic drugs of a substantial quantity. The investigating authority received information in the first half of 2019 that he plans to smuggle a significant quantity of narcotic drugs into the country.
Simultaneously with the Hungarian proceeding, on 30 October 2019 the Slovene customs authority discovered, at the port of Koper, 730 kilograms of heroin concealed in film rolls while carrying out the customs clearance of a container heading from Iran to Hungary.
The Slovene partner authority submitted – by way of the Europol – the information to the KR NNI that established that the heroin shipment discovered in the port is connected to Richárd K.
The operation was supported by the Chief Prosecution Office of Budapest, and in cooperation with the Slovene Prosecution Office in Koper they immediately contacted Eurojust, being the judicial cooperation agency of the European Union. As a result of the cooperation of the Slovene and Hungarian national sections of this European agency, a European Investigation Order was issued out of turn and the Slovene organization was requested to carry out the controlled delivery.
The Slovene partner organization seized 661 kilograms of narcotic drugs from the container but in the interest of apprehending the perpetrator, let the remaining quantity pass freely by informing the Hungarian detectives thereof.
The shipment arrived in a Hungarian establishment on 5 November where Richárd K. unloaded the film rolls and placed them in a warehouse leased by him. Colleagues of the KR NNI requested the tactical unit of the Counter Terrorism Centre to apprehend him, which took place at 21:00. The Intervention Support Unit of the Rapid Response and Special Police Services also took part in the operation.
Detectives searched his apartment where they recovered and seized a small quantity of tablets suspected of being narcotic drugs and 7 million HUF and 69.450 EUR in cash. Police officers also searched premises leased by Richárd K. at the establishment where they seized 69.1 kg substance suspected of being a narcotic drug hidden in 4 out of the 42 prepared film rolls disguised as packaging material.
The Slovene authority seized 661 kg heroin hidden in the remaining 38 rolls on 30 October.
A forensic chemist of the Hungarian Institute for Forensic Sciences was appointed to provide an expert opinion. Based on preliminary findings, the substance seized in Hungary is undiluted heroin. Besides the active ingredient of heroin amounting to 65%, the powder examined only contains accompanying components stemming from the production.
The drug seized would have reached the black market in a 2.5x dilution, therefore its value amounts to 1.6 billion HUF at least and 4.1 billion HUF at most.
According to findings of the investigation, the target country of the whole heroin shipment was Hungary.
Detectives of the Drug Crime Division of the KR NNI interrogated Richárd K. as suspect, took him into criminal custody and initiated his pre-trial detention that was subsequently ordered by the court on 8 November 2019 at the initiative of the Chief Prosecution Office of Budapest.
Medical marihuana legal but scarce in Hungary
Orbán, Sarec discuss migration, aid to Africa
Hungary and Slovenia are both “well aware of what migration and illegal border crossings mean”, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday in Budapest, after talks with Marjan Sarec, his Slovenian counterpart.
“We both know what it means when masses attempt to cross our borders and transit our countries illegally,” he said. “We know what it’s like when they’re not coming to us but just want to pass through and we know what it’s like when the law, national interests and the humaneness of handling things the right way are in conflict with one another.”
Hungary and Slovenia are planning to deliver medical equipment to Africa together, “in line with the idea that we should not import trouble but take the help where it’s needed,” he said.
Hungary is “very sympathetic” towards Slovenia’s efforts to defend its borders, Orbán said.
He said there were 96,000 migrants currently navigating the Balkan migration route on their way to western Europe. Orbán added, however, that it was impossible to tell whether they would try to make their way to Hungary or to Slovenia via Croatia.
Hungary, however, has a “heartland” together with the Visegrad Group, Orbán said, adding that the V4 had an agreement that if the migration pressure on Hungary were to suddenly increase, the Czech Republic, Poland and Sloviakia would send patrol units to the Hungarian-Serbian border.
“We’re also ready to cooperate with Slovenia in the most specific and deepest way possible if it serves Slovenia’s interests,” he added.
Regarding the European Union’s enlargement, Orbán said that “now that the EU has botched the decision on starting accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia”, it should at least step up the talks with Serbia “to keep the prospect of [joining] the EU open for the Balkans.”
He noted, at the same time, that some member states believe that the entire enlargement process needed to be rethought.
On the topic of Hungarian-Slovenian relations, Orbán praised the competitiveness of Slovenia’s economy, saying:
“There’s plenty we can pick up and learn from them.”
He said that although bilateral economic cooperation was improving each year, it was expanding at a slower pace than Hungary’s cooperation with the rest of its neighbours.
Hungary’s Eximbank has opened a 165 million euro credit line to promote business ties between Hungarian and Slovenian companies, the prime minister said, adding that Hungary will be a guest of honour at Slovenia’s biggest economic fair next year.
Orbán also said that the Hungarian government has recently transferred 900 million forints (EUR 2.7m) to the Raba region — the area in Hungary with the largest indigenous Slovene population — for the economic development schemes to be carried out there. In addition, the government has so far spent some 2 billion forints on development schemes to be carried out in Slovenia’s Mura region, he said. Concerning the government’s economic development schemes, Orbán said he had proposed to Sarec the establishment of a cross-border regional development fund.
Orbán said the Hungarian government was now spending four and a half times as much on supporting the local Slovene minority community as it had been in 2010.
He said
the expansion of the M70 motorway to the Slovenian-Hungarian border would be completed in mid-December,
adding that the planning phase of the Hungarian section of the Zalaegerszeg-Redics-Lendava railway line was also under way.
Asked about Croatia’s aspirations to join the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone, Orbán said Hungary supported the integration aspirations of all its neighbours, adding, however that Hungary had “special interests” concerning the Hungarian-Croatian border section. In this regard, Budapest wants a written agreement with Croatia that if Hungary were to face a significant inflow of migrants from that direction, then it could reinstate not just administrative, bur also physical border control measures along its border with Croatia.
Sarec said
bilateral ties were especially strong in the areas of the economy and tourism, adding that Hungary and Slovenia were cooperating on a number of EU-related matters.
He said his talks with Orbán had focused mainly on the deepening of economic cooperation.
Hungary and Slovenia are in constant dialogue and both want to intensify bilateral relations, Sarec said, underlining the importance of having a neighbour “who understands and respects us”.
He said
Hungarian and Slovene minority groups also had important roles to play in bilateral cooperation, commending the Hungarian government for devoting special attention to the local Slovene communities.
On the topic of migration, Sarec said the best solution would be to improve living conditions in the migrants’ countries origin so as to prevent them from leaving their homelands. He urged the EU to craft a joint policy in this matter.
In response to a question, the prime minister urged dialogue with Turkey. He said Slovenia was preparing for a variety of scenarios as regards Turkey and the migrants it hosts, expressing hope that Turkey and the EU would find a rational solution.
Sarec urged bolstering the border between North Macedonia and Turkey in case Europe were to be flooded by a significant wave of migrants.
Concerning EU enlargement, he said the EU should strive to deepen its ties with Serbia, adding that a stable Western Balkan region was in everyone’s interest.
Minister Palkovics calls for strengthening Hungarian, Slovenian economic ties – UPDATE