Szijjarto: Hungary's goal is for Serbia to open cluster by year’s end

“We have a very clear goal when it comes to Serbia,” said Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Szijjarto at a media conference announcing the opening of the first cluster with Albania in the country's EU integration negotiation process.

He said Serbia is ready to open the negotiation cluster on inclusive growth and development, and Hungary aims to make this happen before the end of the year.

If you have traveled to Belgrade two weeks apart, you have seen what progress looks like, said Szijjarto, suggesting that the bureaucrats who are worried about whether Serbia is ready to open a chapter go to Belgrade twice in two weeks and see for themselves.

He said that, while the EU member states publicly support Serbia’s integration, the situation behind closed doors is different, and that some of them raise topics that represent skepticism instead of supporting the process.

Szijjarto also mentioned that Montenegro has currently made the most progress in the integration process and is ready to close several chapters.