- Title: SERBIA: Hungarian president Janos Ader visits Serbia
- Date: 25th June 2013
- Summary: GUARD OF HONOUR ADER AND NIKOLIC STANDING AND LISTENING TO HUNGARIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM ADER AND NIKOLIC STANDING VARIOUS OF ADER AND NIKOLIC RECEIVING MILITARY HONOURS GUARD OF HONOUR
- Embargoed: 10th July 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Serbia
- City:
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA40M3SDCD5FWYKZEH608LLSRE0
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Hungarian President, Janos Ader, visits Belgrade a day after the Serbian parliament passed a declaration condemning communist-era persecution of ethnic Hungarians in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina.
Hungarian President Janos Ader was welcomed by his Serbian counterpart Tomislav Nikolic in Belgrade on Tuesday (June 25) just days after the Serbian parliament passed a declaration condemning communist-era persecution of ethnic Hungarians in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina in the aftermath of World War II.
"A joint memorial service to the victims killed in the raid in 1942 and during the reprisals in 1945 is a symbolic act of historical reconciliation, with which we close a chapter of the difficult relationship between Serbia and Hungary. Today we leave history to history, and build a future of cooperation between our two peoples," Nikolic told reporters at a joint news conference.
Nikolic emphasised his appreciation of Hungary's support for Serbia's path to Euro-Atlantic integration and noted the growth in trade between the two countries.
Ader praised the declaration adopted last week by Serbia's parliament to condemn World War II-era crimes against people of Hungarian descent.
"With this agreement we are closing one chapter, an open chapter of our history, which lasted for 70 years, and together we pay respect to innocent Serbian and Hungarian victims," said Ader.
He added that the declaration could set an example to members of the European Union.
"This will be a good example of a country, which wants to join the EU (referring to Serbia) and at the moment is not a member, and last Friday decided on something (referring to declaration condemning communist-era persecution of ethnic Hungarians in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina in the aftermath of World War II) that could be an example for other EU members," he said.
Ader and Nikolic further discussed progress regarding national minorities in their respective countries as well as the construction of a new border crossing in order to foster further cooperation and trade. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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