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Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, Honourable President Aleksandar Vučić.
As you are probably aware, a few minutes ago the President of the Republic of Hungary awarded the highest Hungarian honour to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. It is nice to celebrate, but we also need to work. We have been working with the President, and we thought we would create the opportunity to give you some information about the political work behind this award. In recognition of the President’s award, I would also like to add that it is clearer than ever that the historical challenges facing our nations – the Serbian and Hungarian nations – are identical. Not for the first time. We have had leaders who recognised this, and we have had leaders who did not. Today we celebrate the fact that Serbia has a President who has recognised this, and who has acted and shaped Serbian–Hungarian relations in this spirit. Whether we are talking about migration, military security or indeed energy security, I am convinced that the stability of the Balkan region is linked to the stability of Serbia; and Serbia is stable when it has strong, decisive leadership. And therefore we also honour President Aleksandar Vučić as a champion of stability in the Balkans.
After this, let us look at policy matters. It was clear from our discussion today that there is no Hungarian energy security without Serbia, and no Serbian energy security without Hungary. I will quote last year’s figures. A record total of 7.5 billion cubic metres of gas arrived in Hungary through Serbia, without which we would not have been able to ensure the functioning of the economy or the security of Hungarian households. This 7.5 billion is 2 billion more than a year earlier. We have a great shared plan to build an oil pipeline that will serve the energy security of both countries. We have reviewed the status of this. We are talking about a 300-kilometre pipeline, and I am pleased to see that preparatory work is in full swing. We are also working to double the volume of electricity interconnection between our two countries. These results have been achieved while working in a headwind in recent years. Everyone knows how destabilisation attempts have been made, both in Serbia and in Hungary. The aim of these has been to put pressure on our countries through NGO activity, or by cutting off money. But even in such a headwind we have achieved great results. And now global politics has changed, we are experiencing a tailwind, and I see us breaking new records this year in trade, in investment and in development along our shared border. Serbia is an exceptionally successful country, with a 9 per cent increase in real wages. In this Hungary has been able to keep up in friendly competition. And Serbia has had 4 per cent economic growth, which is what we would have liked. In that regard the Serbs are ahead of us, but this year we would like to make a considerable reduction in the gap. Today we Hungarians see Serbia as one of the most successful countries in Europe, and perhaps the most successful. Beyond the economy, they have managed to avoid drifting into war. I know the pressure that the Serbs have been under, and in the 27-member European Council the issue of how to exert pressure on Serbia has been regularly raised. Serbia has successfully resisted, and has thus not slipped into a war that we hope is about to end. And what I particularly also appreciate at a personal level, and see as a great achievement, is the fact that 40 per cent of Serbia’s foreign trade is with countries outside the European Union. This shows that Serbia is implementing a successful strategy of connectivity. The country has been able to build up significant economic links in all directions, and its system is much more balanced than ours. But we see it as an example. This is what we have achieved in a headwind, and this is what Serbia has achieved in a headwind. Now the wind has changed: we are in a tailwind. The year 2025 offers us the best hopes for Serbian–Hungarian relations.
President Aleksandar Vučić, congratulations on your success, congratulations on your Hungarian medal, and our thanks to you and the Serbian people for your friendship.
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