In his speech, Németh said the process of reconciliation between Hungary and Serbia was a “significant” one. He added, however: “We have relations with neighbours, where the issue of collective guilt has not been surmounted.”

He said the start of Hungary-Serbia reconciliation was a most significant event of the past four years, and this would not have been possible without the presidents of the two countries taking an initiating role in the process.

Before a meeting of the presidents last year, the Serbian parliament passed a resolution to express responsibility for past events. Nemeth said this had been an exemplary act, creating an opportunity to build a new future between the Hungarian and the Serbian nations, he added. It is also exceptionally important that the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ) is part of the new Serbian government.

The time has come for autonomy to demonstrate what it is capable of in practice, he added. Instead of creating tension in Serbian-Hungarian cohabitation, autonomy can function as a framework for it, he said.

István Pásztor, chairman of VMSZ, said the leadership of Hungarian Serbs strove to make sure bilateral relations unfold with real intentions rather than mere words. After the election, VMSZ signed an agreement with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on Hungarian- Serbian reconciliation and a relevant government decision is expected to be passed in the next few weeks, he added.

Last year, the presidents of Hungary and Serbia, Janos Ader and Tomislav Nikolic, paid tribute to the memory of those executed before and during the Second World War in Curug (Csurog), Vojvodina. The act was seen as an affirmative sign of the two countries’ joint efforts toward reconciliation.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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