Orbán met his Serbian counterpart Vucic in Belgrade – UPDATE

Belgrade, September 5 (MTI) – Challenges stemming from a wave of migration similar to those seen last year along the so-called Balkan route could well arise again this autumn, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday.

Orbán met his Serbian counterpart Alexandar Vucic in Belgrade on Monday to discuss cooperation in connection with the so-called Balkan migration route.

“We must prepare for a difficult autumn,” he said, adding that the agreement between the European Union and Turkey is fragile, which could lead to a situation similar to that last year.

Orbán told a joint press conference that Hungary wants to “protect what it has achieved so far” and will not tolerate law violations. This includes attempts to enter the country illegally, he said.

Hungary has an interest in helping Serbia so “not a single person can enter Serbia’s territory illegally,” Orbán said, adding that this would fortify Hungary’s security, too.

Orbán said security of Hungarians should not come at the expense of Serbia.

“We are not interested in protecting Hungary’s borders while seeing tens of thousands of migrants stuck in Serbia,” he said.

The prime ministers agreed to open border crossings in order to help the flow of legal movements between their countries.

On the subject of the Oct. 2 referendum in Hungary, Orbán said the vote was needed to address the growing conflicts expected between Hungary and Brussels over migration issues. “Brussels wants to force rules on member states which are against their interests, and if this does not change it will lead to a prolonged political and legal dispute,” Orbán said. “The stronger support we get in the referendum, the better the chances we’ll win this battle against Brussels,” he said.

Addressing the issue of Serbia’s EU accession, Orbán said Serbia should try to get “as close to the EU as possible”. Whereas some are “trying to block this, Hungary does not agree with them,” he said. “Only merit counts.”

Hungarians living in Serbia enjoy “fair and generous” treatment from the government and the Hungarian government aims to be generous to the Serbian community in Hungary, too, Orbán said.

He asked Vucic for his support for Hungary’s bid to organise the 2024 Olympic Summer Games. The whole central and eastern European region would benefit, he added.