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BRUSSELS – The decision of the EU Council to abolish Schengen border checks between Bulgaria and Romania, adopted yesterday, is historic and in my opinion it is the most important achievement of the Hungarian presidency. This was stated in an interview with BTA by Hungary’s permanent representative to the EU, Ambassador Bálint Odor.
He expressed hope that by the end of the presidency in the next two weeks, there would be additional momentum for the Western Balkan countries on their path to the EU, with potential progress in negotiations with Albania and Montenegro.
We want to see the end of the war in Ukraine, this is our objective, said the ambassador, noting that the EU Council is expected to approve new sanctions against Russia next week. We have been an honest broker as president of the EU Council, summarized the ambassador.
The full text of the interview follows:
The Hungarian presidency achieved a historic breakthrough with yesterday’s decision by the EU Council on Bulgaria and Romania. How was this made possible after such lengthy negotiations?
We are very happy with this decision, it was one of the main tasks of the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council. After 14 years of negotiations, a historic agreement was adopted yesterday. It is the result of the continuous mediation and work of the presidency. This is one of the presidency’s greatest successes.
It may be good to recall that during the first Hungarian presidency in 2011, the full acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen was also a priority for us. We did a lot to achieve this goal, but more time was needed. We are honored to have completed this process.
There were many important meetings, one of which took place in Budapest in November this year. This meeting was key for preparing the adoption of the decision. Representatives from Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania participated, the Hungarian presidency was the mediator, and we discussed possibilities for achieving a resolution with measures for border security and migration control.
For us, this is a historic achievement – for Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, but also for the whole EU.
In your view, is this the greatest achievement of Hungary as president of the EU Council?
For me, this is the most important achievement of the presidency, this is my personal opinion. We had other important successes during this transition period. We reached agreements in other very important areas of EU policy for the next five years – competition, migration, justice and home affairs, agriculture.
One of the most important goals of the EU is to be more competitive and implement new solutions against illegal migration. We did a lot of preparatory work and achieved the desired change.
Regarding the enlargement of the EU with the Western Balkan countries, we wanted to accelerate the process. In our view, these countries have been waiting for a long time. The first breakthrough was with Albania, negotiations began in substance. More important steps can be expected in the coming days, these are our hopes. We are preparing further intergovernmental conferences by the end of the year, with Albania and Montenegro. We would like to see progress with Serbia as well. We need to send a positive message to the region. Next week there will be an EU-Western Balkans meeting in Brussels and this will be an important event.
For the first time in the history of the EU, unanimity was achieved on the goals of the EU agricultural policy for the coming years. We managed to advance on legislative issues where there had been no resolution for years.
Will Hungary maintain border checks with Romania?
In the next few months, there will be targeted police checks, similar to the measures taken at the Austrian-Hungarian border. We anticipate these measures will be temporary, for six months.
Was Hungary an honest broker in the discussions on the new EU sanctions against Russia?
I think we were an honest broker on this and other matters. In this case, there was a proposal from the European Commission, we included it in the agenda, it was discussed and supported by the ambassadors. Approval is expected next week.
Could Hungary have a special role in the EU’s relations with the USA during Donald Trump’s forthcoming second presidential term?
The intention of all EU states is to work with the new administration in the USA. This was the first reaction, it was seen at the informal meeting of the European Council in Budapest a few days after the elections. There are good relations between Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President-elect Trump. We can be a kind of bridge. Let’s wait for the inauguration of the new administration in the USA.
As an EU diplomat, what do you most want to see happen after the New Year?
Peace. And more stability and predictability. This is greatly needed, especially in the countries surrounding the EU. We need to play a more stabilizing role. I think it is achievable and we will work hard for this goal. We want to see the end of the war in Ukraine, this is what we are striving for.
(December 13)