EU needs Serbia, says the Hungarian government

The European Union needs Serbia more than Serbia needs the EU, Bence Tuzson, the justice minister, said after meeting Serbian counterpart Nenad Vujicic in Belgrade on Friday.

Hungary has always willingly shared its experiences of EU accession with the Balcan country and it will do so in the future, too, Tuzson said.

Regarding the protection of the sovereignty of countries, the minister said he had told his counterpart that joining the bloc did not entail adopting a servile attitude, and “our self-identity must also be protected and maintained” within EU.

He said the country’s accession was important for Hungarians as the country would gain a friend and ally within the EU.

The Serbia-Hungary friendship embraces their respective governments and ordinary people, he said, adding that both countries should take advantage of the opportunity afforded by “this historical change”.

Bilateral and ministerial cooperation applies in the area of justice, as “indeed, there are issues that we must discuss together”.

“We both see that the legal system must aid the country’s economic competitiveness, as competitiveness always leads to prosperity,” he said.

Vujic said he agreed with Tuzson that justice was “inseparable from economic development” and had an influence on FDI, so “these should also be taken into account during legislative changes”.

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