Hungary is in favor of a fast-track process to expedite Bosnia-Herzegovina’s accession to the European Union with talks between the country and Brussels stagnating in recent months.
Following a meeting in Banja Luka with President of the Bosnian Serb Republic Milorad Dodik, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the position of Hungarian foreign policy is that the EU’s financial resources for catching up should be given to applicant countries wanting to harmonize their economies and regulatory frameworks ahead of their EU membership.
Orbán said that Hungary and the Bosnian Serb Republic see great prospects for cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure, and agriculture. The parties have therefore decided to set up a special committee that will report every three months on the state of economic cooperation, providing an opportunity for rapid decisions and dynamic progress.
Dodik thanked Hungary for supporting the Serbian minority in Hungary and contributing to its development.
“The development of the relationship between Hungary and Serbia fills me with joy, and we, as members of the Serbian people, want to participate in this,” he told journalists. Dodik added that the Bosnian Serb Republic received €100 million in support from Hungary for the development of agriculture, for which Banja Luka is very grateful.
“We are ready to be partners in Hungary’s new, advanced Balkan policy, which is entirely based on cooperation and understanding, something we do not see from others,” said the Bosnian Serb leader.
