Hungary is one of the most vocal advocates of Serbia joining the European Union and the good news is that it will continue to support Serbia on its European path, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said today in Budapest after a meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Minister Selakovic emphasized that he noted with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó, in a meeting earlier today, that if the opening of chapters was only up to Hungary, Serbia would have this year opened all five chapters it is prepared for in the negotiating process.

"Hungary will continue to support Serbia, this is good news that we had no doubt about to begin with, taking into account the way our relations have been developing", Selakovic said to the Serbian media as he brought his official visit to Hungary to an end.

He added that the fact that Hungary was providing financial assistance to 24 Hungarian companies to invest in Serbia, not only in its northern parts but south of Danube and Sava rivers as well, demonstrates Hungary's view of Serbia's European path.

"If this was not their position, they would not encourage, support and incentivize their business community to invest in Serbia like they do today. We would like to have more joint investments, as Prime Minister Orbán also underlined today", Minister Selakovic said. He added that they agreed on the development of tourism and that both sides wish that more Hungarians visited Serbia as well as that more Serbian citizens went to Hungary.

"This is one of the reasons why our strategic commitment is to focus, among others, on the Belgrade-Budapest railway construction project, which will make this type of transportation much faster and ensure its greater safety", Minister Selakovic said.

He stressed that, owing to the excellent personal relations between the Hungarian Prime Minister and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia and Hungary today can testify to having best possible relations in their recent history, and perhaps even in the history generally speaking.

Selakovic said that Serbia and Hungary are cooperating in most areas, adding that this included economy, infrastructure, energy, and investments of Hungarian entrepreneurs and state in the Serbian economy, culture and education.

"What we can be particularly proud of as two close states is the status and position of our national minorities, of Serbs in Hungary and Hungarians in Serbia", Minister Selakovic emphasized.

He expressed hope that Serbia and Hungary will soon hold the sixth Joint Session of the two Governments and that it will result in the signing of an agreement on strategic partnership.

"This will be the first strategic partnership agreement signed with a neighbouring country and I believe that it is only natural that this will be with Hungary, as we are already cooperating in a strategic way", Minister Selakovic concluded.

Source: Tanjug