Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Tuesday, after attending the signing of an agreement on cooperation between the defense ministries of Serbia and Hungary, that very intense military collaboration has been established between the two countries.

Vucic said an agreement had been reached with Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky on continued cooperation, noting that Serbia has the most intense collaboration with Hungary among all countries in the region.

He explained that the document signed Tuesday specifies the agreement on cooperation in the field of defense, outlining 79 planned activities. He also announced an upcoming meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, during which discussions on strategic cooperation are to resume. He noted that trade between the two countries exceeded three billion euro last year.

Serbia is a reliable energy partner, Vucic asserted, revealing plans for the completion of a project to construct a pipeline to Hungary by the third quarter of this year, which will cost Serbia 129 million euro. According to the Serbian president, the plan is to complete the pipeline by the first quarter of 2027, “just in time for the Expo.”

He also thanked Hungary for their friendship during 1999, when they faced immense pressure to allow a ground invasion of Serbia from their territory during the NATO bombing campaign, but ultimately did not permit it.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky provided further details on the agreed-upon activities, which, he said, contribute to the continued development of excellent comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Hungary has always stood for peace, and Serbia is our ally on that path, the Hungarian defense minister emphasized. He also recalled that Hungary’s strategy includes the enlargement of the European Union and the accession of Serbia, highlighting that during Hungary’s presidency of the EU Council last year, they consistently emphasized the importance of Serbia’s accession to the Union.