House Speaker hails Vojvodina Hungarian community’s progress

Speaker of Parliament László Kövér, in an interview with Subotica (Szabadka) broadcaster Pannon RTV on Tuesday, hailed the progress achieved by ethnic Hungarians living in Serbia’s Vojvodina region in recent years.

Whereas in the past many ethnic Hungarians in Vojvodina had faced a dilemma of whether or not they should leave their homelands to make a living, today they are strong and successful, Kövér said, summarising his two-day visit to Serbia.

• Europe should defend ethnic minorities, freedom of religion, says Hungarian minister

Concerning Hungary and Serbia’s minority policies, Kövér said the Hungarian government “is serious about its responsibility for the entirety of the nation”, while the Serbian government “has also understood . that we can’t be stuck in the mindset of shaping pure nation states for ourselves”.

Hungary and Serbia have therefore had to learn forms of coexistence and cooperation that are centred on supporting their national minorities, the speaker said.

Kövér praised the role of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ) in Hungary and Serbia’s improvement of their relations over the years, saying that the party’s ability to build trust with Serbia’s political elite had been crucial to the strategic cooperation pursued today by the two countries on the basis of mutual interests and values.