Szijjarto hails ‘high point’ of Serbia-Hungary ties
Speaking after his talks with Balint Pasztor, acting chairman of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Szijjarto said the late leader of the party, Istvan Pasztor, been key to ensuring good ties, the ministry said in a statement.
Szijjarto cited milestones such as the re-establishment of a rail link between Szeged in Hungary and Subotica in Serbia, the fact that the border crossing between Roszke and Horgos is open 24 hours a day, and investment support by the Hungarian government for more than 14,000 entrepreneurs in Vojvodina, creating 170 billion forints worth of investments there.
He assured Hungarians in Vojvodina of the government’s continued support, adding that the business development programme will continue with two tenders for 4 billion forints of support for small businesses and agricultural producers.
Szijjarto said the VMSZ leader was striving to realise the strong representation of Hungarian interests in Belgrade and to promote the development of the Baja-Subotica rail line as well as to divert part of cross-border freight traffic to the Hercegszanto-Santovo border crossing.
He emphasised that a strong representation of Hungarian interests in Belgrade was also needed to maintain peace in the region near the border and to keep out illegal migrants who made “life a misery” for the Hungarians living here.
Vojvodina economic development programme ‘success story’
The Hungarian government’s economic development scheme for Serbia’s Vojvodina region “is a great success story”, Szijjarto said. Speaking at the inauguration of a development of Eurotextil, Szijjarto said Hungary’s government is supporting the investment with 51 million forint (EUR 134,000) grant. The plant will now be able to cover all phases of production, and the investment has created 25 new jobs, he added.
The economic development programme has disbursed 80 billion forints to 14,263 companies in the region over the past years, fostering investments worth some 170 billion, he said.
