Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are highly dependent on each another in the region, Szijjártó said on Facebook. Economic ties between the four countries are also “highly active”, he said, noting the deep links between their border-region communities. Austria is Hungary’s top trading partner in the region, while Slovakia is its third most important; annual trade volume came to around 10 billion euros with both countries last year, he said. “It’s therefore in our interest … to give new momentum to our economic and trade relations.” Protecting people’s lives is the top factor to be considered when phasing out border restrictions, he added.
The four countries have pencilled in June 15 as the target date for starting to lift restrictions on their borders, he said. Experiences of easing restrictions on Hungary’s borders have been positive so far, he said, noting the most recent decision to reopen the Hungary-Serbia border to the public.
Szijjártó noted that he is scheduled to hold talks with his Polish counterpart on Wednesday and his Slovenian counterpart on Thursday.