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A new ferry service between Neszmély in Hungary and Dunaradvány in Slovakia has been inaugurated, an excellent example of good neighborliness and cross-border cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday at the inauguration ceremony.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Balík, Slovak Minister of Investment, and Judit Czunyiné Bertalan, Fidesz Member of Parliament for the region (L-R) Photo: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka
At the inauguration ceremony, the Minister said that the opening of as many border crossings as possible is a strategic task for the government, pointing out that in 2010, there were twenty-two crossing points between the two countries, which has now increased to thirty-six following an agreement between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
This is good for Slovakia, good for Hungary, good for Slovaks and good for Hungarians,”
he underlined.
“However, we’re not stopping there: this year, we’re going to hand over four more new crossing points together with our Slovak friends. Three of them are bridges over the Ipoly River and one road link in the eastern part of the country. This will make a total of forty crossing points between the two countries by the end of the year,” he continued.
Szijjártó said that the vessel, which was co-financed by the European Union with an investment of around 2.2 billion forints (EUR 5.92 M), can carry 80 people, or 40 people plus eight vehicles. The service will run eight times on weekdays and sixteen times on weekends. The crossing time will be between six and ten minutes, depending on the water conditions and the speed of the current, he added.
The minister underlined that for Hungary, which has no coastline, the existence of a sufficient number of border crossing points with neighboring states is a strategic issue. Moreover, this is particularly true in the case of Slovakia, as this is Hungary’s longest border, with friendly, family communities living on both sides.
Today, cooperation between Hungary and Slovakia has become a real success story, strengthening each other on important issues, contributing to the growth of each other’s economies, and strengthening each other’s security,”
the politician declared.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Slovak Investment Minister Peter Balík said:
The ferry crossing is a development that will make life easier for people on both sides of the Danube, whether they are going to school, work, or to visit family.
What’s more, it has been completed at a time when the price of building materials has risen abnormally.”
The Slovakian minister, who himself grew up in southern Slovakia and has experienced the difficulties faced by Hungarians living there, said he was pleased that the project had been able to be built with mutual respect and dialogue.
Featured image: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter