Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote about national sovereignty and protection of Schengen borders on national holiday of Croatian statehood

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent his best wishes in a message to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Croatia, Croatian Statehood Day, Bertalan Havasi, the Deputy State Secretary heading the Press Office of the Prime Minister informed the Hungarian news agency MTI.

“National sovereignty is one of the most important values for us here in Central Europe. We are proud that Hungary was among the first to reassure Croatia of its unconditional support for the country’s aspirations for national sovereignty, and was also among the first to recognise Croatia’s independence,” Mr Orbán wrote in his message.

He added that Croatia’s accession to the Schengen Area was a significant, common historical success for both Hungary and Central Europe. The cessation of the European community’s internal borders creates a number of new opportunities for the development of our relations both in the area of economic cooperation and in the day-to-day lives of our citizens, he underlined.

At the same time, Mr Orbán pointed out that the protection of the external Schengen borders also involved common responsibility. “From now on, we will have to stand our ground in the protection of the southern border line as neighbouring Schengen Member States, and I can reassure you that my government is ready to provide Croatia with all the support it needs regarding this task,” the Hungarian Prime Minister wrote in conclusion in his message marking the Croatian national holiday.