On the premises of the Serbian Embassy in Hungary, we had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Aleksandar Lončarević – Minister Counsellor. We would like to thank him for kindly taking the time to answer our questions.
Could you briefly summarize Serbia’s role in the region and its relationship with Hungary?
Serbia historically had a tumultuous relationship with Hungary, but in recent years there has seen a significant increase in political, economic, and overall relations. The two countries first established relationships in the ninth century. Together, they were able to defend Belgrade from the Turks during the siege of Belgrade by the Ottoman Empire. However, in the First and Second World Wars, Hungary was on the opposite side of Serbia, which resulted in strained relations. Since 2012, the two countries have worked to improve relations and cooperate in various areas, including economics, projects, cooperation in addressing pandemics, and national minority rights. The fast railway between Budapest and Belgrade is a significant project between the two countries.
Could you elaborate on the diplomatic engagements between the two countries and the common foreign policy goals?
The two countries have worked to improve diplomatic engagement in recent years, focusing on common foreign policy goals. They cooperate in various areas, including economic projects, energetic security and national minority rights. The economic relationship between the two countries has been boosted significantly.
Currently, the two countries are cooperating on several significant rail projects, including the construction of fast railway between Budapest and Belgrade and the railway between Subotica in Serbia. The two countries are also cooperating on several projects related to energetics, including the Turkish Stream project, which supplies gas to Hungary through Serbia. Furthermore, Serbia has granted significant rights to the Hungarian national minority in Serbia, and Hungary has done the same for the Serbian minority in Hungary.
Regarding bilateral relations, what are the main sectors of cooperation between the two countries?
The main sectors of cooperation between Serbia and Hungary include economics, infrastructural projects and national minority rights. The two countries have been working to boost their economic relationship, and the exchange of goods and services between them is currently around 4.5 billion euros. The fast railway between Budapest and Belgrade is a significant project between the two countries, as well as the railway between Subotica in Serbia.
In addition, the two countries have been cooperating on several projects related to providing the energetic security, including the Turkish Stream project and the connection of the two electricity networks. Finally, Serbia has granted significant rights to the Hungarian national minority in Serbia, and Hungary has done the same for the Serbian minority in Hungary.
Could you elaborate on how Serbia and Hungary cooperate in culture, science, and education?
Serbia and Hungary cooperate in the fields of culture, science, and education. In the field of education, the Serbian government is providing scholarships to Hungarian students who are interested in studying in Serbia. Similarly, the Hungarian government supports Serbian students who want to study in Hungary.
Serbia and Hungary have collaborated on various projects in the cultural field in recent years. One of the most significant projects was opening monument of Hunyadi Janos in Belgrade in 2019, commemorating the leader who defended Belgrade from the Ottomans in the 14th century.. The two countries are also opened Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church in Szentandre in April 2019. Overall, Serbia and Hungary have some level of cooperation in culture, science, and education.
What are the main regional cooperation programs in which the two countries jointly participate in?
Hungary and Serbia jointly participate in several regional cooperation programs. The cooperation is based on four pillars: economic, infrastructure, health, and national minorities. The economic cooperation between the two countries has been growing every year, and today the exchange is around 6 billion euros according to Hungary and 4.5 billion euros according to Serbia. The infrastructure projects include the construction of the fast railway between Budapest and Belgrade, which is almost complete, and the railway between Subotica and Szeged. Health cooperation has become important due to the pandemic, and mutual projects have been started to have a secure healthy situation. The two countries have signed a memorandum to connect oil pipelines and to make a connection between the two electricity networks for electricity trade.
Finally, the question of national minorities is also an essential pillar of cooperation between the two countries. Hungary and Serbia work together to address the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Serbia and the Serbian minority in Hungary. The national minority in Serbia enjoys high-level rights, and the Hungarian government is satisfied with how they behave towards their national minority.
What are the institutions supporting business development between the two countries?
There is a lot of economic cooperation and activity between Hungary and Serbia. The two countries hold an annual intergovernmental meeting led by Prime ministers on both sides to discuss matters related to the economy and infrastructure. There is also communication between businesses and entrepreneurs from both countries to exchange ideas and promote investment opportunities.
Serbia is looking to attract Hungarian investors to the southern parts of the country, which are less developed than the northern parts. This is a common problem in Europe, where people tend to move from less developed areas to more prosperous ones.
The Serbian government has implemented policies to attract foreign investments and has succeeded in bringing in new companies and factories. Italy and Hungary are among the top countries with whom Serbia has strong economic ties.
Hungary is in the top five economic partners of Serbia and has a significant export to Serbia
Plans for the future?
The importance of securing energy supplies and the efforts to diversify energy sources and to provide the security for both countries in the frame of incumbent challenges in the world. Additionally, there will be a government session between the two countries in June, in Serbia, and preparations are currently underway.
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