OREANDA-NEWS  “Serbia can serve as an example within the filed of protecting the rights of minorities to several European Union countries, and countries that are waiting to become members of the EU, and as a sign of its appreciation Budapest not only asks, but demands that five new chapters are opened before the end of this year in the accession negotiations between the European Union and Serbia”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stressed on Friday in Belgrade following talks with Serbian Minister of European integration Jadranka Joksimović.

Serbia is the positive example that shows us “things all also be done this way”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade declared, citing as an example Ukraine, which “is supposedly in a hurry to join the European Union, but has nevertheless amended its Education Act to that children over the age of ten can no longer study in their native language. “What is happening in Ukraine with relation to minorities is shameful and disgraceful”, he said. “In contrast, Serbia has amended its Education Act precisely in the interests of reinforcing and in fact promoting the rights of national minorities”, he added, emphasising: “Hungary is doing everything possible to facilitate Serbia’s European integration; this is how we are reimbursing Belgrade for what it is doing for the Hungarian minority in Vojvodina”.

Mr. Szijjártó declared that relations between Hungary and Serbia have never been better, and expressed his appreciation of the Serbian government for taking seriously and respecting the rights of minorities. “The way Serbia is treating the Hungarian minority is fully in line with EU values and expectations”, he said, adding that as far as we is aware Belgrade will be amending the framework legislation on minorities before the end of this year, and according to leading politicians representing the Hungarian minority in Vojvodina, preparations for the new bill are progressing extremely well.

The Foreign Minister highlighted the fact that in addition to maintaining good diplomatic and economic relations, Servia and Hungary are also in the process of preparing for two major development projects. Firstly, they are cooperating to ensure access to new natural gas resources from the south for both Serbia and Hungary, in the interests of which both parties shave already signed the schedule with Gazprom, according to which significant new gas purchasing opportunities will become available at the end of 2019. In addition, Serbia and Hungary are both also developing their natural gas pipeline networks and constructing a high-capacity interconnector between the two countries.

Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that the China CEEC conference will be held in Budapest at the end of November, within the framework of which the parties will launch the tender for the modernisation of the Hungarian stretch of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line. Thanks to the new railway line, in future the most obvious and rapid route for Chinese goods to reach Western Europe will be via Serbia and Hungary.

The Minister also drew attention to the fact that another new border crossing station between the two countries will open in spring of 2018; the border crossing station linking Bácsszentgyőrgy and Rastina will be the eighth such border crossing point.

With relation to Serbia’s European integration, Mr. Szijjártó highlighted the fact that it is in the interests of both Hungary and the European Union for Serbia to be a member of the EU. “This is why Hungary will be demanding that five new accession chapters are opened between Brussels and Belgrade, in view of the fact that positive responses must be Serbian advancements in the interests of maintaining the credibility of the European Union. Without a stable Serbia there can be no stable Western Balkans”, the Minister underlined, adding that in his view the most obvious path to stability it via European integration.

“Hungary is dong absolutely everything in its power to ensure that you are able to conclude the accession talks by 2021, in accordance with your government’s targets”, Mr. Szijjártó declared.

Serbian Minister of European integration Jadranka Joksimović thanked Péter Szijjártó for the fact that the Hungarian Government has always stood up for Serbia during the course of the European integration process, adding that: “This is not the only reason why Hungary is important to Serbia, but also because of the large Hungarian minority living in the country”. “Cooperation with the Hungarian minority also contributes to good relations between the two countries”, she said.

The Minister stressed that she had more regard for opinions that arrived from the Hungarian Government and the Hungarian minority that reports from the EU, in view of the fact that the former come from parties that are personally involved in these issues. Within the field of minority rights, Serbia not only reaches European standards, but also exceeds them from several perspectives, she underlined.

Following his meeting with the Serbian Minister of European integration, Mr. Szijjártó will be holding several other meetings in Belgrade, including with Prime Minister Ana Brnabić , President of the Republic Aleksandar Vučić , Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić and Minister of Economy Goran Knežević .