Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Serbian Finance Minister Siniša Mali discussed border crossing possibilities for commuters and maintaining freight traffic on the Hungarian-Serbian border. They also discussed speeding up construction of the Szeged-Subotica rail line.
Szijjártó and Mali agreed that freight traffic should continue to be allowed to cross at the three border crossings currently open between Serbia and Hungary. Talks are under way on also allowing commuters to cross the Serbian-Hungarian border, Szijjártó said. The ministers also agreed to speed up construction of the railway line between Szeged, in southern Hungary, and Subotica (Szabadka) in Serbia, deemed important for economic cooperation, Szijjártó said.
Szijjártó noted that trade between Serbia and Hungary hit a record 2.6 billion euros last year. The governments are working to minimise the slide in that figure in 2020, he said. Both countries are planning significant economic stimulus measures, Szijjártó noted. “If we coordinate our resources and aims, we can secure a serious advantage in the post-epidemic period,” he said. Hungary’s Eximbank has opened a 150 million dollar credit line to that end, he said.
Hungary maintains its economic development programme in Serbia’s northern Vojvodina region, “because a strong Vojvodina is in our and Serbia’s interest”. Both countries are working for “Hungary and Serbia’s success after the pandemic,” Szijjártó said.