Hungary to give Bosnia-Herzegovina full support in EU integration process
At a joint press conference with Elmedin Konakovic, Szijjarto said that in Hungary’s standpoint “the European Union these days needs the integration of the Western Balkan countries more than they need EU membership”.
He said that an action plan was signed on “sharing knowledge” on the integration process with Bosnia and Herzegovina which had submitted its application for membership 8 years ago. “It is now time to make real progress,” Szijjarto added. Under the plan, 50 experts will participate in training at the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy who are potential candidates to play a key role in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s EU accession talks.
Speeding up the EU integration of the Western Balkans and moving forward Bosnia-Herzegovina’s accession talks will be an important objective of Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency in the second half of 2024, said Szijjarto.
Answering a question in connection with the US presidential elections and the US Supreme Court’s decision clearing Donald Trump to run for president, Szijjarto welcomed “the failure of the liberal mainstream’s master plan” to disqualify a non-liberal candidate standing a good chance to win and that the Democrats will have to compete against Donald Trump “in a democratic race”.
“This is a very important victory from the point of view of the rule of law,” Szijjarto said, adding that it was regrettable that no statements had been made by Brussels this time on “how it was a violation of the rule of law and European values – which we regard as universal values – that a decision on who can or cannot run as a candidate in the primaries, or in the presidential election, could have been taken by an official in a certain American state”.
“But this is their business…., what is certain is that we have always respected decisions made by the people of other countries concerning who they elect for leaders, including in the United States,” Szijjarto said.
The foreign minister said Hungary’s bilateral relations had been at their peak during the presidency of Donald Trump, adding that Hungary would again like to have “the best ever” political relations with the United States.
