Skopje, 11 April 2025 (MIA) – Hungary is committed to intensifying the enlargement process for which the EU has fresh enthusiasm, Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka told a news conference Friday in Skopje alongside his Macedonian counterpart Orhan Murtezani. 

The Western Balkans, he noted, should be one of the most important beneficiaries of this new enthusiasm and when it comes to North Macedonia, the offer for assistance in resolving the dispute with Bulgaria still stands. 

“Before, during and after our presidency, we worked closely with European institutions and also bilaterally with EU members to keep the EU integration process of North Macedonia and the Western Balkans on the agenda. What we have been doing is accelerate the technical and administrative process within the EU institutions pending outstanding political issues. On the bilateral political issues, the prime minister of Hungary has said he personally and the Hungarian government are ready to help solve them if the parties agreed. This offer still strands. We’re also reaching out all EU member states to emphasize the geostrategic importance of the region to EU and the huge economic possibilities the region can offer to the EU. There’s a new enlargement enthusiasm in the European Union. I hope this is the case, and if so, the Western Balkans should be one of the most important beneficiaries of this new enthusiasm. Hungary works to this end,” said Bóka when asked whether his country has a plan to outline its position that North Macedonia should have joined the EU a long time ago before the EU leaders given the outstanding bilateral issue with Bulgaria. 

Asked for a comment on the relations between Budapest and Brussels after Hungary’s endorsement of the US-backed resolution on Ukraine, which was also supported by North Macedonia, Minister Bóka said the Hungarian government has a very clear and characteristic policy within the EU and it believes that integration into the Union should make the member states stronger together while and should allow member states to remain what they are.

“We believe the enlargement process is in our interest and there’s no alternative. We also believe that in order to remain successful and to respond to global challenges the EU is facing today, it has to change fundamentally. There are, of course, institutional conflicts and political discussions sometimes. We never shied away to say our firm positions in the EU out loud. I don’t think it’s a problem, in fact, it is the motto of the EU – unity in diversity. We’re cooperating with all European institutions on a constructive basis and we will keep doing so,” responded,” Hungarian minister Bóka.

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