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Minister: Serbia “should have been admitted into the European Union yesterday”
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Serbia “should have been admitted into the European Union yesterday”, but the bloc can still make things right “if the country joins tomorrow”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Szeged, in southern Hungary, on Wednesday.
At a joint press conference with Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic, Szijjártó praised the “excellent relations” between Hungary and Serbia, emphasising the efforts that had gone into “turning historic spite [between the countries] into a historic friendship”, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Both countries have benefitted immensely from this, Szijjártó said, adding that the outcomes of this past weekend’s elections in Hungary and Serbia allowed the countries to continue working together.
Szijjártó said bilateral trade turnover more than doubled in January.
Construction on the Budapest-Belgrade rail line is ongoing, the upgrade of the Szeged-Subotica (Szabadka) rail line is set to be completed by the end of the year, and two Hungarian investment projects in Serbia worth a combined 4 billion forints (EUR 10.7m) are also nearing completion, he said. Szijjártó also emphasised Serbia’s role in Hungary’s energy supply.
On another subject, Szijjártó said Hungary’s ruling alliance of Fidesz and the Christian Democrats had won a record number of votes in Sunday’s general election and would have a record number of seats in parliament. “A week ago everyone was saying that Fidesz would have no chance of winning in Szeged or other major cities,” he said.
He added that support for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had also reached an all-time high in Sunday’s election, noting that the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ) was one of Vucic’s backers and would have a group of its own in the Serbian national assembly. “These two historic victories clearly prove that it is right to represent national interests,” Szijjártó said. Asked about Russia seeking payment for gas deliveries in rubles, Szijjártó said that because the EU had no role in bilateral gas supply agreements, “how the contracting parties choose to amend [the agreement] is nobody else’s business”.
The pipsqueak should shut up. He knows perfectly well why accession is not possible. He should get new orders from his Russian controllers. This idea of the Balkans is going nowhere.
Serbia is another ally of Russia, being wooed like we are:
“I expect that your work as head of state will continue to contribute to the strengthening of the strategic partnership that exists between our countries,” Mr Putin said in his telegram to Mr Vucic (Serbia’s leader) congratulating him on his election win, according to the Kremlin statement of April 4th. “This undoubtedly meets the interests of the fraternal peoples of Russia and Serbia.”
Perhaps the EU is learning to stay clear of Trojan horses, profiteers and self serving saboteurs?