On 16 September, delegations of the Foreign Affairs Committee and European Integrations Committee, headed by Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gordana Comic respectively talked, in separate meetings to a delegation of the Hungarian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, headed by Mihály Balla, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman. The members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Hungary, headed by Group President Milan Stanimirovic, also met with the Hungarian parliamentarians.

The Serbian and Hungarian Foreign Affairs Committee Chairmen, Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic and Mihály Balla respectively, stated that the parliamentary contacts between Serbia and Hungary have intensified following the signing of the Parliamentary Cooperation Agreement in November 2008. The cooperation should continue to be strengthened and expanded.

The officials noted the potential for strengthening and improving economic cooperation particularly in the spheres of infrastructure, energy production, railway and other, as well as intensifying cross-border cooperation.

Hungarian Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mihály Balla said that this was their first visit to a foreign parliament since the elections which confirms Serbia’s importance to Hungary as a neighbouring country. He stressed that by adopting the Law on National Councils of National Minorities and including them into the state and political authorities, Serbia has shown that it cares about its numerous ethnic minorities. He announced that the inclusion of minority representatives into the Hungarian Parliament would also be enabled the law.

Chairman Balla emphasised that Hungary is interested in Serbia’s speedy incorporation into the European Union and that it will fully support it on the way, particularly during its presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2011. He also announced that Hungary would soon ratify the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the EU.

National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Dragoljub Micunovic restated that EU accession is Serbia’s highest foreign policy interest which also implies excellent relations with its neighbours.

The delegation comprised the following Committee members: Gordana Comic, Natasa Jovanovic, Zeljko Ivanji, Nikola Lazic, Momir Markovic, Balint Pasztor and Milan Stanimirovic.

The delegation of the Hungarian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee also spoke to National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gordana Comic and the members of the National Assembly European Integrations Committee about Serbia’s European integration process and priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the European Union next year.

Deputy Speaker Comic briefed the Hungarian colleagues on the planned course for Serbia’s European integration in 2011, where cooperation with Hungary would play an important role, particularly during its EU presidency. She stated that Belgium has already announced that equal opportunities policy i.e. gender equality policy would be one of its priorities during its EU presidency in 2011, and to this end the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security would be given a boost. Deputy Speaker Comic pointed out that Serbia adopted a Gender Equality Law which obliges all political parties, unions and vocational organisations to publish a plan on the representation of women in their organisations in the next four years by 1 December this year. Also, Serbia is on of the countries which will adopt a Strategy and Action Plan on the implementation of Resolution 1325 this fall, which was enabled jointly by the deputies, non-governmental organisations and the Ministry of Defense. She believes that the implementation of said Resolution in Hungary and Serbia will be one more topic to enrich the two countries’ parliamentary cooperation. In addition, Deputy Speaker Comic pointed out that cooperation on the realisation of the Danube Strategy project in a sphere where Serbia can prove its progress in the European integration process, as well as do a lot for the development of the Danube region and the benefit of its citizens.

Hungarian Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mihály Balla restated that Hungary would strive to lend full support to Serbia on its European road and confirmed that during its EU presidency his country would consider the Danube Strategy one of its priorities, and Serbia one of its partners. He announced a Danube Summit in Hungary in February next year which would gather all the countries of the Danube region and where they shall come to an agreement on the realisation of the strategy. Chairman Balla stressed that Hungary is open to EU expansion and its task is to assist Serbia’s accession the moment the conditions are right.

The officials highlighted the role of the European Integration and Foreign Affairs Committees in the process of informing the public on the European integration process, primarily informing them on the realistic expectations and benefits of a country’s EU membership. The Hungarian parliamentarians pointed out that they would spare no effort to make sure that their Parliament ratify the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and applauded the recent elections for the Hungarian minority National Council in Serbia.

In addition to Deputy Speaker Comic the meeting was attended by Vlajko Senic and Momir Markovic, European Integrations Committee members, and Milan Stanimirovic, Foreign Affairs Committee member and President of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Hungary.

In the meeting with the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Hungary the Hungarian parliamentarians’ visit was declared mutually beneficial while building a long-term partnership was highlighted as Serbia and Hungary’s common goal. Milan Stanimirovic, President of the Serbia-Hungary Friendship Group, thanked Hungary for supporting Serbia on the road to the European Union and expressed belief that meetings such as this would improve future cooperation. Hungarian delegation head Mihály Balla stressed that Serbia and Hungary share the same goals regarding Serbia’s European integration and that Hungary would press for the expedition of the process once it becomes European Union Chair on 1 January 2011.

Parliamentary Friendship Group members Balint Pasztor, Zeljko Tomic, Judita Popovic, Donka Banovic and Radovan Radovanovic took part in the meeting.