Prime Minister Viktor Orbán praised Hungary and Slovakia’s achievements in shared projects such as the inauguration of a new bridge spanning the Danube between Hungary and Slovakia near Komárom, northern Hungary and the construction of a motorway connecting Miskolc in north-eastern Hungary and Košice (Kassa) in eastern Slovakia.
After meeting his Slovak counterpart, Eduard Heger, Orbán told a joint press conference that the construction of a new bridge across the River Ipoly is set to begin next week, adding that the two countries will open six new border crossing points between them by 2023. Furthermore, Hungary and Slovakia have linked their electricity grids and gas pipelines, he said. Plans are also under way to establish a high-speed rail link between Budapest and Bratislava which will also connect to Prague and Warsaw, Orbán added.
As regards ethnic communities, Orbán said Slovaks living in Hungary would receive all the support they need to preserve their cultural, educational and political identity, adding that the government will also contribute to the establishment of a Slovak cultural centre in Budapest. Orbán thanked Heger for his “generosity” when it comes to the situation of ethnic Hungarians living in Slovakia, expressing hope that Hungarian and Slovak ethnic minorities would serve as a bridge between the two nations.
“Now all that’s needed is a bit of luck and we’ll be able to show the world something that few would predict when we reopen our economies,” the prime minister said. “For now, the vaccine remains the key factor, since the pandemic is only over for those who have been inoculated,” Orbán said. “Sadly many in Hungary are deciding not to get the jab and remain at risk to the infection.” Orbán expressed hope that both countries would be successful in rebooting their economies so that they could “share another success story”.
hungarymatters.hu
