Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto met with BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik at Republika Srpska (RS) entity Government building on Friday where they discussed the continuation of economic cooperation and Hungary’s support to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the RS worth €35 million.

Dodik thanked the Minister for coming to Banja Luka. He thanked him for the earlier help and support from Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of the Hungarian Republic to the RS.

“I expected that we would get candidate status for the EU, but unfortunately that did not happen. I told the minister how disappointed we are in Bosnia and Herzegovina because of that decision,” Dodik said.

He pointed out that Hungary will help entrepreneurs in the RS with an additional €35 million and that this economic cooperation at the time of the economic and energy crisis comes at the right time.

Szijjarto recalled that there is a war going on in Europe and energy problems are emerging and it is the duty of politicians to stabilize Europe.

“This means that the Western Balkans region should be integrated into the EU. It is a shame for Brussels that it slowed that process down and didn’t provide BiH with candidate status. We support BiH integration and stability, not only with words but also with actions. Hundred-thirty-four Hungarian soldiers are serving as part of EUFOR in BiH and we know that economic development is a very serious factor in the stabilization of a country. This is exactly why we were glad that a few months ago Dodik proposed negotiations on how we can develop economic cooperation between the two countries. The Government of Hungary launched an entrepreneurship development program in the RS. An entrepreneurship support competition worth €35 million will be announced for small and medium-sized enterprises from the RS area, and they can receive a maximum of €25,000 each,” said Szijjart.