Previously there were borders separating Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Viktor Orbán reminded entrepreneurs, “one has already been abolished, there is no Croatian-Hungarian border, and there is a Schengen area.” The Hungarian Prime Minister said that the Hungarian highway will soon reach the Croatian border, and “Croatians are also doing business,” so the two countries will soon be connected via a highway.
Photo: Agence France-Presse
He added that Banja Luka and its surroundings are organized, there are large ports, and it is a country with a future, “because the future of the economy always depends on the quality of people, and this is what the environment expresses.”
If politics can stabilize this region, there will be a predictable economic environment here
– Viktor Orbán stated.
He explained that according to economic forecasts, the growth potential in Western Europe is at a very low level, and that Germany is suffering from recession. He added that with this year's growth of 2.5 percent, Hungary “is king.”
He stated: The dynamics of the European economy are currently present in the Balkan region, because people here “want to work and can work”, there is a high industrial and agricultural culture, as in Hungary, and they strive for cooperation.
“There is a counter-argument in the business world that this is the most complex country in the world,” the Prime Minister continued, adding that this is true for Sarajevo, but not true for Banja Luka. Things can be handled here, so concerns about bureaucracy can be put aside.
Viktor Orbán said that he believes in this region because 14 years ago the Hungarian economy was in chaos, and the size of the Hungarian economy was seventy percent smaller than it is today. Since then, Hungary has made a journey that others can take.
He pointed out that 14 years ago Hungarian companies were not located here because Hungary was a very capital-poor country. “Today we have leading regional companies” and about 1,500 companies that can invest abroad, the Hungarian Prime Minister said. He continued that Hungarians are proud of their history, culture and nation, “Hungary belongs to the Hungarians, so we expect foreigners to behave as they should.”
In terms of economic decisions, this means that the Serbian government will clearly define the sectors where Hungarians are welcome, and where they are not because they do not want competitors. “We will not come there,” Viktor Orbán said. “This country belongs to the Serbs,” he added, which is why there are Hungarian companies operating here in the areas designated by the Serbs.
“It is important that the local population accepts us and feels that we are bringing opportunities to areas that need investment and development,” the Prime Minister stressed. He added that he also encourages Hungarian companies to set up joint projects.
“This is a two-way street,” Viktor Orban noted, noting that Hungary welcomes Serbs as employees and businessmen, because “cooperation does not take away opportunities, but rather creates opportunities.”
