20.06.2023.
First Session of Serbia – Hungary Strategic Cooperation Council
The first session of Serbia – Hungary Strategic Cooperation Council was held today in Palić. The session was attended by President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, President of Hungary Katalin Novák, and prime ministers of Serbia and Hungary Ana Brnabić and Viktor Orbán.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević attended the session of the Strategic Cooperation Council together with the members of Serbian Government.
The session was followed by the ceremony of signing bilateral documents, one of them being the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of Hungary on enhanced strategic cooperation in the field of defence, which is a confirmation of the orientation towards further intensification of defence cooperation between the two countries. The Agreement was signed by ministers of defence of Serbia and Hungary, Miloš Vučević and Kristóf Szalay Bobrovniczsky.
Speaking about today’s session, President Vučić underlined that Serbia and Hungary have been building the best relations so far over the past decade, noting that the agreements signed today are of extreme importance for both countries.
- Today, we have signed an agreement in the field of defence and security. Hungary is a NATO member, Serbia is not, and Serbia intends to maintain its military neutrality. Hungary is a member of the European Union, Serbia is not, or at least not yet. However, we have reached such level of mutual relations that we can be so close and cooperate so closely in the field that is so important and where cooperation can be very difficult, tremendously difficult even. We have many plans and we talked about the ways to protect our countries, our independence, sovereignty. We also discussed how we can assist each other, work together in the future, and how to do what is the best for our peoples. This is an immense strategic step forward – stated President Vučić emphasising that Serbia and Hungary are true friends that share sincere confidence, and noting that everyone needs such friends and they need them always.
President of Hungary Katalin Novák stressed that this is the golden age of the relations between the two states, and that the establishment of Serbia – Hungary Strategic Cooperation Council proves a long-term orientation to continue the good relations and cooperation. She highlighted that both Serbian and Hungarian peoples are sovereign sharing mutual respect. President Novák stated that Serbia can count of Hungarian support in the negotiations with the European Union. As President Novák noted that, regardless of Serbia’s candidate status for the membership of the European Union, the two countries cooperate in all matters, even in the field of defence.
Prime ministers Brnabić and Orbán agreed on the importance of the establishment of the Strategic Cooperation Council for both countries and confirmed the existing extremely good and friendly relations between Serbia and Hungary.
