Hungary-Slovenia deal enables more comprehensive cooperation, says PM Jansa

The agreement which Hungary and Slovenia signed on Monday will enable more comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and form the basis for the continued growth of bilateral relations, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Monday.

Jansa told a joint press conference with Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán in Lendava (Lendva) that the first agreement on the protection of Hungary and Slovenia’s minorities on the two sides of the border had been signed 30 years ago. The current agreement covers so far unaddressed matters, he added.

The prime ministers signed an agreement on a joint fund to develop the mixed-population Prekmurje and Rába regions in 2022-2026 by providing an annual 5 million euros for each.

A cooperation agreement on setting up the fund was signed by Jansa and Orbán in Celje last September.

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Trade between the two countries increased by 20 percent last year compared to the previous year “which demonstrates that businesses on both sides of the border discovered previously untapped opportunities”, he said.

Hungary is Slovenia’s seventh largest foreign trade partner,