Szijjártó: Hungary sending 20 police to guard Serbia’s southern border

Budapest, October 3 (MTI) – Hungary is supporting Serbia by sending 20 police officers to protect that country’s southern border, because there is a real danger of a new wave of migrants leaving to cross the western Balkans, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday after talks with Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic.

Hungary’s firm standpoint is that Serbia is prepared for European Union membership and it is in Hungary’s interest that Serbia should join as quickly as possible. He added that this was in the interest of the Hungarian minority living there as well as being in the interest of Hungarian security.

“Stability and security in the western Balkans is in our interest; these objectives can be best achieved by its swiftest possible European integration,” Szijjártó told a press conference, noting that this is why Hungary “supports, and even demands,” that Brussels open four new chapters in the accession talks with Serbia without delay.

Bilateral relations today reflect historic reconciliation, he said, commending the Serbian government on its efforts, unprecedented within the EU, to support Serbia’s Hungarian communities.