Three crossing points have re-opened for commuters at the Hungarian-Serbian border, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook.
Hungarian and Serbian nationals who work or have land to farm on the other side of the border can cross at Röszke, Tompa, and Hercegszántó. Serbia introduced strict restrictions in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic banning passenger traffic at its borders, Szijjártó noted. The ban at the border has seriously affected many residents and local businesses in the border region, he noted. The policy apply to Hungarian and Serbian nationals living within a 50km distance of the border.
Meanwhile, he said Hungary’s OTP Bank and oil and gas company MOL would both play key roles in reopening the Serbian and Hungarian economies. In addition, the government will carry on with its economic development scheme in Serbia’s northern Vojvodina region which has so far generated 86 billion forints’ (EUR 240.9m) worth of investments, Szijjártó said.
The two countries will continue with the upgrades of the Budapest-Belgrade and the Szeged-Subotica-Baja railway lines, he said. Construction of the gas corridor that will transport gas to Hungary from Turkey via Bulgaria and Serbia is also ongoing, he said, adding that the Hungarian section of the pipeline is set to be completed by October 2021. Hungary’s Eximbank has opened a 120 million euro credit line to help boost cooperation among Hungarian and Serbian businesses, Szijjártó said.
Asked about the situation of ethnic Hungarian secondary school students from Vojvodina who are scheduled to take their school-leaving exams, he said they would be given the opportunity to take their exams in Hungary.
MTI
