On Sunday, 20 November in Nis, Southern Serbia, Minister of Defence of Hungary István Simicskó held a bilateral discussion with Serbian Minister of Defence Zoran Djordjević.
At the meeting, after reviewing the security situation of the region, the Serbian and Hungarian defence ministers discussed cooperation in the migration crisis, Hungary’s role in operations conducted in the Balkans (EUFOR, KFOR) and military-to-military relations.
Defence Minister Zoran Djordjević stated that Serbia intends to become a part of the solution to the migrant crisis hitting Europe. Belgrade is currently seeking the ways to help the European Union with solving this crisis. The Western Balkans country would like to become a real and effective part of the system, instead of being just a transit country or one where migrants are gathered.
In connection with the migration crisis, cooperation with Serbia is of key importance in preserving the stability of the region, while KFOR’s presence in Kosovo is another important pillar of regional stability.
The Hungarian–Serbian joint governmental session is to be held in Nis on Monday. High on the agenda of the ministers’ meeting are the strengthening of economic relations, the migration crisis and the provision of regional stability. Furthermore, the participants are going to sign agreements on supporting Serbia’s EU accession negotiations, and on declaring River Tisza an international waterway.