Hungarian Conservative

Borjana Krišto emphasized the good cooperation between the two friendly countries and welcomed the work of the Joint Economic Commission between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary, noting that there is significant space and demand for increasing bilateral trade.

The European Commission proposes starting accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday in Strasbourg. Issues being discussed at the European Parliament Plenary also include the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and European security, among others.

‘As I myself experienced as the first director of the Hungarian Cultural Centre (Liszt Institute) in Zagreb, which opened in January 2014, Croats have a positive attitude towards Hungarian culture. The Institute is now ten years old, very active, and there is a huge interest in Hungarian culture.’ Read Mandiner’s in-depth interview on Croatian– Hungarian relations with historian Dénes Sokcsevits.

During her meetings, Katalin Novák expressed her support for the EU accession of West Balkan nations, visited the troops of the Hungarian-led EUFOR Althea mission, and discussed Hungary’s family support schemes.

On 18 December, a release ceremony was held for the Hungarian troops of the EUFOR Althea mission. From January 2024, the EU peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be led by a Hungarian commander, Major General László Stitz.

Ursula von der Leyen, presenting the report on the expected reforms for the EU accession of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, as well as the accession prospects for the Western Balkans and Turkey, announced that the European Commission recommends initiating accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, as soon as they meet final conditions.

Hungary has been a committed promoter of the European Union’s enlargement in the Western Balkans, and sees it as a fundamental interest of European security and economy, Judit Varga, a Fidesz lawmaker, told Hungarian news agency MTI after talks in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition to the Hungarian leadership, from 2024, the Hungarian Defence Forces will contribute with additional forces to Operation Althea including helicopter airlift and bomb disposal capabilities.

Over this past weekend that saw the 20 August celebrations and the grand opening of the Budapest World Athletics Championships, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with the leaders of several countries, creating a one-off diplomacy summit in Hungary.

Dodik expressed gratitude for the budgetary support provided by the Hungarian government earlier this year to the Bosnian Serbs, which enabled the institutions to function smoothly. According to the plans, the predominantly Serb-populated region of Bosnia and Herzegovina aims to work on the development of the electrical grid, solar energy, and hydropower, as well as construct a pharmaceutical factory and improve infrastructure.

Hungary has spent 650 billion Hungarian forints on the defence of the southern border, the construction and reinforcement of the border fence, and its continuous protection.

As the Georgian government dropped the country’s foreign agent draft law due to protests, Republika Srpska announced the implementation of a similar law. Hungary was again condemned in the international media for introducing a piece of legislation in 2017 by the same name—without assessing either the content of the Hungarian law or reminding their readers that it was revoked in 2021.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is celebrating its 31st anniversary on 1 March, while the President of the country’s autonomous unit Republika Srpska is denying the genocide that happened during the Bosnian War.

Encouraged internationally but rejected locally—will the Union of Serbian Municipalities be established in Kosovo?

Whether the Western Balkans will be inside or outside Europe in the coming decades will also determine the development of the EU, President Katalin Novák emphasised.