Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary travelled to Szabadka (Subotica), Serbia, for bilateral talks following a joint press conference with President Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia. During his visit, Orbán also accepted the István Pásztor Award from the István Pásztor Foundation, named after the influential ethnic Hungarian political leader in Serbia.

At the press conference, Orbán told reporters that he and President Vučić ‘should be meeting weekly’ given the rapid pace of geopolitical developments, but their schedules make that unrealistic. As a result, the two countries’ foreign and finance ministers have been instructed to maintain the closest possible contact. The Prime Minister added that energy policy, sanctions on Russian imports, and ongoing peace negotiations would be the main topics of their ‘work lunch’ following the press event.

Orbán also announced that construction of the Hungarian section of the Hungary–Serbia oil pipeline will be accelerated. He said the two leaders were right to move forward with the project, noting that while a gas pipeline already connects the two countries, there is no oil pipeline—something he described as essential for a complete, basic energy infrastructure.

Meanwhile, President Vučić thanked Orbán for Hungary’s consistent support on issues such as Serbia’s EU accession, as well as broader political and financial matters.

‘The Serbian people can always count on the Hungarian people, and Hungary can also count on Serbia,’ he stressed.

In response to a question, the Serbian president noted that when sanctions were introduced, his government prepared in advance to avoid disruptions to heating, electricity, or fuel supplies. The challenge, he explained, stems from Russia’s stake in Serbia’s only oil refinery. Its sale did not go through by the expected deadline, prompting Serbia to seek assistance from Hungary.

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