Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban yesterday agreed that the political relations between their countries are good, but that they should be improved in the economic remit.
At a press conference following the meeting Cvetkovic said they affirmed that the bilateral relations are by far better than the economic ones, adding that businesspeople should be informed of the need to boost these relations.
He noted that during the meeting of the two delegations it was agreed that the minorities are a bridge for cooperation and a good indicator of how to further improve overall relations.
Today’s visit of the Prime Minister of Hungary, the country currently presiding over the EU, mainly concerned the issue of Serbia’s EU integration, Cvetkovic said.
Cvetkovic presented Serbia’s stances regarding the accession process and highligted Serbia’s wish to be granted candidate status and the date for starting the talks before the year’s end, with the obligation to complete the necessary reforms envisaged by the action plan.
He stressed that he acquainted Orban with the technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, voicing his expectation that there will soon be positive effects in this respect.
Serbia’s EU entry has never been conditioned with the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, Cvetkovic observed.
Speaking about the dinar exchange rate, he noted that the best rate is the one determined by the market, observing that fluctuations of the dinar rate from the beginning of the year onwards indicate the full complexity of this problem and interests affecting its formation.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the reduction in benchmark interest rates and inflation, which will improve the economic situation.
Orban stressed that Hungary supports Serbia in its European integration, and reiterated that the interest of the EU and Hungary is for Serbia to become a member of the Union.
The Hungarian Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the respect of the Hungarian minority in Serbia and promised that the question of minorities’ deputies in parliament will be resolved by the end of the year.
Speaking on whether the Kosovo issue can hinder the process of European integration of Serbia, Orban said that a solution needs to be found that will not interfere with the entry of Serbia into the EU.
He stressed that there should be no pressure from the outside and concluded that a solution that best suits both parties needs to be found.
Following official talks, a postage stamp with the image of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt was presented to the public on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth.
Director General of public postal company Posta Srbije Goran Ciric briefed the two prime ministers about the joint project of the Serbian and Hungarian governments and this company.
Source balkans.com
