President Milanović visits Hungary, discusses energy cooperation and minority ties

President Zoran Milanović is on a two-day visit to Hungary. 

After meeting President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday, Milanović confirmed that he and Orbán discussed energy cooperation. Hungary has accused Croatia of overcharging for crude transport through the JANAF pipeline and of lacking the capacity to meet the needs of Hungary and Slovakia. Milanović expressed confidence that cooperation can be restored, describing the dispute as a “temporary disruption.”

“This is an issue on which the two countries currently hold differing positions. However, through mutual dialogue and respect for our shared interests, these differences are not insurmountable. I explained to Prime Minister Orbán Croatia's position on the role of JANAF as strategically important energy infrastructure, not only for Croatia but also for neighboring countries to which JANAF aims to be a reliable partner. I believe that after our conversation, there is now space for an agreement on energy cooperation that will benefit both Croatia and Hungary,” Milanović wrote on Facebook.

The President continued his visit today in Pécs, attending events marking the 30th anniversary of the Croatian community’s self-government and the 35th anniversary of the Union of Croats in Hungary. Earlier, he briefly returned to Croatia with Hungary’s President, visiting Bilje and Kopačevo, where they met members of the Hungarian community in Croatia. Milanović emphasized the long-standing ties between the two countries, strengthened through bilateral cooperation, the European Union, and NATO, and highlighted the important role their respective minorities play in this relationship.

“Although the autonomy of Croats in Hungary and Hungarians in Croatia is primarily cultural, its effects are also political. This is thanks to a mutual awareness that the protection of minority rights is an important pillar of relations between states and nations,” Milanović said.

Sulyok added, “The nation is considered obsolete. Ancient, valuable communities are often ridiculed. Yet national communities understand this is unsustainable. We cannot build a future this way. National communities must rely on each other — that is how we support one another and nurture our respective national identities.”