Szijjarto: Hungary committed to opening further border links with Slovakia

The new bridge costing 2.9 billion forints (EUR 7.6m) was, the minister said, “a milestone” in Hungary’s national strategy programme, adding that building cooperation, especially with neighbouring countries, had been a key government priority since 2010.

Hungary has the longest common border with Slovakia, Szijjarto noted, adding that the 654km border section had only offered 22 crossing points back in 2010.

Following an agreement signed by the two countries in 2014, that number has doubled, Szijjarto said, calling these developments “a success story achieved by Hungary and Slovakia”.

Hungary, he said, was ready to continue building further bridges, roads, and railway lines connecting it to Slovakia. The government, he added, was looking forward to an upcoming official visit by Slovak PM Robert Fico next Tuesday, which would offer an opportunity for further talks on the subject.

Meanwhile, Szijjarto said Slovakia was Hungary’s third largest trading partner, with bilateral trade turnover exceeding a record 17 billion euros in 2022.

The new bridge replaces a 15th century that was destroyed in the second world war.