Momirovic, Szijjarto: Serbia, Hungary to modernise border crossings

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Tomislav Momirovic said on Wednesday the cooperation between Serbia and Hungary was extremely good, but noted that radical steps must be taken to modernise border crossings to enable the people of both countries to see the depth of the ties and the joint ambitions of Belgrade and Budapest.

Momirovic said this at the opening of a Serbia-Hungary business forum at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS), attended by 70 companies from both countries.

The forum was held as part of a 13th meeting of a Serbia-Hungary committee on economic cooperation.

"We have made incredible steps in our political and economic relations - the Serbia-Hungary alliance is a clear signal that our two countries do not accept defeat in any field in these turbulent times, but that is not visible at border crossings, and that is why we must do something radical to let all citizens see how deep our relations and how great our ambitions are and how much the future of our countries and peoples matters to us," Momirovic said.

He noted that, for that reason, he was glad that the two sides had reached an agreement to modernise the border crossings.

Referring to the issue as the "only thorn" in Serbia-Hungary relations, Szijjarto welcomed the agreement, aimed at solving problems at three border crossings.

Momirovic noted that priority areas of cooperation - energy, infrastructure, agriculture and security, especially in terms of migration - had been agreed at a March meeting between the president of Serbia and the PM of Hungary.

He said such meetings contributed to the excellent bilateral economic relations and progress on key issues for the two countries.

He said Serbian exports to Hungary had amounted to 245 mln euros in 2012 compared to 1.5 bln euros in 2022, and that imports from Hungary had amounted to 727 mln euros in 2012 compared to 2.1 bln euros a decade later.

"Those are really great results that indicate how much our economy and our relations have changed for the better," Momirovic said, noting that rising Serbian exports to Hungary, driven by exports of automotive components, had reduced the trade deficit.

PKS President Marko Cadez said Serbia and Hungary maintained good-neighbourly relations, creating the best possible climate when it comes to political relations and joint projects.

"We have excellent foundations for even better economic, trade and investment cooperation," Cadez said.