In his address, the Prime Minister highlighted that they want to refurbish a 150-year-old railway line, but in actual fact, they are laying a foundation stone. They are talking about the laying of a foundation stone because it serves as a symbol of the fact that Serbians and Hungarians have begun to build a new future, he stated.
He said “together we’re stronger,” we must tighten bilateral relations even further; this is why they concluded an agreement on strategic cooperation and the forging of an alliance.
He said the storm of history had cut this railway line in two, and with this the residents of both cities lost much, the railway line lost its significance entirely. Six years ago, illegal migrants in the thousands marched towards Hungary and Europe by the side of these railway tracks. The tracks had to be sealed, and transport was finally terminated, he recalled.
According to Mr Orbán, this is a specifically Central European story when “an idea is devised in some imperial headquarters,” they then try to force it upon us, and “we end up paying the price of all this”. Foreign powers have always only brought here war and animosity, he said, adding that anything that came from outside “separated us,” and brought decline and conflict.
He stressed that “it is high time to take our own fate into our own hands”.
He pointed out that a Schengen border lies here, but this is not where the external border of the European Union should be; it should be further South and Serbs should be able to travel to Hungary and Europe without passport controls. Serbia is the gate of the Balkans and a key state for the security of Europe, he stated.
The Prime Minister said Serbia has been ready for accession for years; the question will slowly change to whether they still want to join or whether there will be anything left to join. Hungary is a committed supporter of the country, he said.
He highlighted that this project has “an older brother,” they are working on the construction of a Budapest-Belgrade railway corridor, and they are also determined to ensure the construction of a line between Baja and Subotica (Szabadka) within the shortest possible time. They are likewise working to ensure that the development is implemented with the simplest possible border controls as the meaning of politics lies in serving the interests of the people living here, the Prime Minister said.
