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On Monday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received Aleksandar Vučić in Budapest, where the Serbian President was awarded Hungary’s highest honor by the President of Hungary.
President Tamás Sulyok awarded Aleksandar Vučić the Grand Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit. At the ceremony, President Sulyok stressed that “today we are living in historic times, and these times are in our favor; not for Serbs or Hungarians, but for Serbs and Hungarians.”
Sulyok stressed that this required historical reconciliation, in which Vučić played an unforgettable role, “who, as a prudent leader, embarked on the path of Hungarian-Serbian cooperation, which has become exemplary today,” and
recognizing our common destiny, he has made the relationship between Hungary and the Republic of Serbia a strong alliance through years of hard but persistent work.”
Serbian-Hungarian cooperation has become part of everyday reality, and its results can be seen in everyday life, the President of Hungary said, praising the Serbian head of state’s activities. He pointed out that his Serbian partner has supported outstanding minority policy measures at the European level, which have resulted in the situation of the Hungarian community living in the neighboring country becoming exemplary and orderly.
Aleksandar Vučić receiving the honor from Tamás Sulyok. Photo: MTI/Bruzák Noémi
Speaking at a press conference after his talks with the Serbian President, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the stability of the Balkan region is linked to the stability of Serbia. “Serbia is stable when it has strong, decisive leadership, which is why we also respect Aleksandar Vučić as a champion of stability in the Balkans,” he noted.
Orbán stressed that there is no Hungarian energy security without Serbia and no Serbian energy security without Hungary. He said that
preparatory works for the construction of a 300-kilometer oil pipeline between Serbia and Hungary are in full swing.
He added that the pipeline will serve the energy security of both countries.
The Prime Minister pointed out that last year, 7.5 billion cubic meters of gas arrived in Hungary via Serbia, without which the Hungarian economy and the security of Hungarian households could not have been ensured. He noted that this was a record transfer: two billion cubic meters more than the year before.
The politician said they were also working to double the volume of electricity exchanges between the two countries.
Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
Orbán noted that the two countries had achieved these results by “working in a headwind” in recent years.
Everyone knows what destabilization attempts there have been in Serbia and Hungary, how they try to put pressure on our countries by cutting off money or through the activities of NGOs, but we have achieved great results in such headwinds,”
he stated.
Now that global politics have changed, we are “going into a tailwind” and “we will break new records” this year in trade, investment, and border development, he added.
Serbia’s economic growth is at four percent, he continued, adding that “we would have liked it (…), but this year we want to make up for the deficit significantly.” “Today, we Hungarians see Serbia as one of the most successful countries in Europe,” the Prime Minister said, stressing that Serbia had successfully resisted the pressure.
At the press conference, the Serbian president described the economic cooperation between the two countries as extremely strong. He also referred to the Budapest-Belgrade railway project, indicating that from 2026, the Hungarian capital will be accessible by train in two hours and forty minutes.
He said that
Hungary can count on Serbia for gas supplies, as the gas storage facilities on Hungarian territory have provided significant assistance to Serbia.
He pointed out that the trade turnover between the two countries had increased significantly in the past 12 years, and expressed hope that thanks to the changes in the world politics, Hungary and Serbia would be able to attract investors from China, other parts of Asia, Africa, and the United States.
In response to a question, he expressed hope that Serbia would be able to participate in the Paks 2 project and expressed confidence that sanctions against Russia would be lifted.
It was a pleasure to welcome President @MiloradDodik to Hungary. The new winds of international politics give us hope that the political attacks against President Dodik can finally come to a halt. Hungary’s position has always been the same: we need stability on the Balkans. This… pic.twitter.com/uRViYmiGyR
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) February 17, 2025
On Monday morning, Orbán also received Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, for a working meeting at his office at the Carmelite Monastery. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the 2025 work plan for political and economic cooperation between Hungary and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
L-R: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok and Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
During his visit to Budapest, President Dodik participated in the honoring ceremony of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
