Orbán: EU itself is only obstacle to Montenegro's accession to bloc

Budapest Times

2 days ago

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Montenegro is 'a key country' for Hungary, adding that the European Union itself was 'the only obstacle' to the country's accession to the bloc.
Hungary continues to support Montenegro's EU bid, PM Orbán said after meeting his Montenegrin counterpart, Milojko Spajic, during a working visit to Budapest, where the two sides signed agreements in the areas of infrastructure development, telecommunications and IT.
PM Orbán said Montenegro has been waiting to join the EU for 15 years, even though 'it meets all accession criteria', adding that Montenegro was in a pivotal position in the Balkans and key to the region's stability.
'What happens in the south is crucial for Hungary,' PM Orbán said, adding that Montenegro was 'almost a southern neighbour', and 'a strategic partner' thanks to new agreements.
'Considering the railways and motorways to be built, it is clear that infrastructure development will be in the focus of cooperation between the two countries in future,' he added.
He said Hungarian foreign policy was 'pragmatic' and directed towards establishing friendships, especially in the region.
PM Orbán said, although Hungary had always looked West in light of belonging to NATO and the EU, it 'shouldn't disregard other geographical directions'.
Montenegro's geographical position, rather than its size, put it in a key position in terms of stabilising the Balkans and ensuring north-south trade and economic cooperation, he said.
Hungarian trade must reach the sea not only towards Trieste but also through Serbia to Montenegro, he added.
Economic ties, he said, were expanding fast, noting turnover last year of almost 100 million euros. Hungarian multinationals are already present in Montenegro, he added.
'The joint outlook that binds us is the European Union,' PM Orbán said.
Hungary, he said, backed Montenegro's EU aspirations, noting that despite fulfilling 'every single condition for membership long ago', the country has been waiting 15 years to become a member of the bloc.
'This is a country with a Western culture, it's familiar with European culture and regulations and maintains active relations with the West', he said, adding that Montenegro could close any negotiation chapter 'at record speed,' but this depended on the EU.
Montenegro 'enjoys great sympathy' among EU member states, the prime minister said. 'But at the same time everyone accepts, for some baffling reason, that here's a country we need … and it wants to join despite seeing all the troubles of the EU, and instead of accepting this, we prefer to slow it down and postpone it,' he said.
'This is not a reasonable attitude,' he added, saying that Hungary continues to support Montenegro's accession.
Spajic said Montenegro also saw Hungary as 'almost a neighboring country' and one with which it had long wanted to deepen cooperation.
He thanked Hungary for its support for its accession process, saying it felt like help came from Budapest 'on a daily basis'.
Results of the newly signed agreements were important for bilateral ties and would be palpable in the coming months and years, he added.
Without good public and rail infrastructure, it was impossible to realise tourism and economic projects, Spajic said. Infrastructure development 'is a priority for us', welcoming the fact that 'Hungary is partner in this area'.