Orbán and Szijjártó meet with leader of Bosnian Serbs in Budapest

Viktor Orbán held talks with the President of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik at the former Carmelite Monastery on Thursday, according to the Prime Minister's post on X. "The stability of the Western Balkans is essential for the European Union. Instead of lecturing and sanctions, we believe in dialogue and cooperation", he said in the post.

The Bosnian Serb RTRS television reported that Dodik held talks with both Viktor Orbán and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, and that among others, continued cooperation in the fields of agriculture and energy was discussed. There had previously been indications that the two were preparing for closer cooperation, including in the field of energy. In the Republika Srpska there are plans to open new mines and extract lithium, an important raw material for batteries that power electric vehicles. Following today's meeting, Dodik said that they discussed the already ongoing projects as well as those planned for the future.

Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister's Press Chief said that the meeting focused on the EU integration of the Western Balkans and how Hungary, as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, can help advance this process.

Dodik and Orbán have had a good relationship for the past several years, and the leader of the Bosnian Serbs again made positive remarks after the meeting, referring to Orbán as a great statesman and a friend. Earlier this year Orbán was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republika Srpska, which had previously been presented to Putin.