ZAGREB, May 8, 2020 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman on Thursday commented on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Facebook post of a Great Hungary map which includes a part of Croatia, saying the two countries had excellent relations and that territorial claims were unthinkable in the EU.

"Generally, any territorial claims in the European Union are unthinkable as all states recognised each other," Grlić Radman said, adding that "the border between Hungary and Croatia has always been known."

"The existence of historical maps which can be bought in an antique store, and not sought in a closet, doesn't reflect reality and, in a way, they divert attention from real life topics, which is building a future together."

The minister was referring to Croatian President Zoran Milanovic's condemnation of Orban's post in which he said that "Closets in most European countries keep similar contents hidden", calling on young people not to share such posts on social media.

Grlić Radman said Croatia and Hungary had excellent relations, as evidenced by the protection of each other's minorities and tourism, adding that Hungary had been among the first to recognise Croatia and that more than 50 Hungarians were killed in the Homeland War.

Orban has been extending best wishes to Hungarian students ahead of school leaving exams for several days now on his Facebook page and on Wednesday, before a history exam, he published a historical map of Hungary that includes portions of Croatian territory.

This map is frequently used in Hungary's popular culture, notably at rallies of the far right, and can also be seen on Hungarian cars during the summer in Croatia.

The map refers to the Kingdom of Hungary before the signing of the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, whereby Hungarians lost about two thirds of their territory. For that reason, they consider the peace treaty a national tragedy.

Orban posted the map in the past as well and during a previous term in office he declared June 4, the anniversary of the treaty, a day of national unity, according to Reuters.

His latest Facebook post, shared almost 1,000 times, has been criticised by many inhabitants of Romania as the Great Hungary map includes a portion of its territory too.

More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, May 7, 2020 - President Zoran Milanović has told Croatian fourth-grade secondary school students ahead of school leaving exams to learn from history but to look to the future, thus responding to the publication of a historical map of the so-called Great Hungary on the Facebook page of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Writing in a Facebook post on Thursday, Milanović said that most European countries had in their closets historical maps showing them bigger than they are today, but they are unachievable and they always irritate the neighbours.

Orban has been extending best wishes to Hungarian students ahead of school leaving exams for several days now, and on Wednesday, before a history exam, he published a historical map of Hungary that includes portions of Croatian territory.

"Following the publication of the map/globe showing a hypertrophied Hungary, otherwise our neighbour and, in recent history, a friend which is currently in the firm grip of chronic 'map addicts', here is my message of encouragement to Croatian students ahead of their school leaving exams: Croatia is a modern European state and nation. In our closets and archives there are many historical maps that show our country much bigger than it is today," the president said.

"Closets in most European countries keep similar contents hidden," he added, calling on young people not to share them on their social media accounts. "They are not topical or achievable and, more importantly, they profoundly irritate our neighbours in pretty much the same way as we are irritated and surprised every time by maps that occasionally and predictably emerge like a dark fetish from the pages of some 'leaders' in our neighbourhood."

Milanović called such moves "provocations by those who know well that such maps will continue to remain in the closets."

"Learn from history, but look to the future," he told Croatian students.

More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 30, 2020- Grape farmers from the northern Croatian region of Međimurje will be able to cross the border into Hungary to tend to their vineyards there despite the border restrictions Hungary has introduced to fight the coronavirus epidemic, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Sunday.

Szijjarto said that he and his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlić Radman had agreed on cross-border commuting in areas near the border, according to the Hungarian news agency MTI.

The Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry did not respond to Hina's query about the agreement.

Szijjarto says that Croatian grape farmers from Međimurje recently contacted him about the border restrictions preventing them from crossing over to Hungary to farm their grapes.

"And if they do not finish the work now then there certainly won't be any harvest," he said on Facebook.

The Hungarian minister said that he had phoned his counterpart Gordan Grlić Radman and they quickly agreed to enable commuting over the border.

"The two police captains will work out the details and spring work can start," Szijjarto said.

More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 5, 2020 - Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday that Hungary wanted to participate in the LNG terminal project on the northern Adriatic island of Krk, expressing hope that Croatian Environment and Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić would soon convene a working group on Croatia's part.

Asked by reporters if there had been any progress with regard to Hungary's participation in the LNG terminal project, Szijjarto said that Hungary considered its energy cooperation with Croatia as "a game changer in the region." He said that there had been a lot of talk about diversification of energy supply routes but that nothing had really happened in that regard in the entire region.

Hungary sees the LNG terminal on Krk island as a huge opportunity for Hungary, for Croatia and for the entire region, Szijjarto said after signing a statement of intent with Croatian Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković to boost economic cooperation and transport ties between the two countries' border areas.

He said that Hungary had put forward a three-point proposal to Croatia.

First, to connect and combine the gas delivery networks of the two countries, which would eliminate the border crossing fees and make gas supply cheaper for both countries.

Second, to start together negotiations with external partners on gas deliveries to the terminal, primarily with Egypt, Qatar, Australia and the United States.

And third, Hungary is ready to buy a stake in the LNG terminal and Croatia should say what would be an acceptable size, because the terminal is Croatian.

"This is a comprehensive proposal from our side, for which we have a working group. I hope that Minister Ćorić will be ready to convene a working group on the Croatian side as well, as soon as possible," Szijjarto said.

Emphasising the importance of this project, he said that it has "a game-changing significance from our perspective because currently, when it comes to diversification of sources, this is the only viable solution for the upcoming years."

The value of the floating LNG terminal is estimated at €234 million. The European Commission has granted €101.4 million for the construction of the LNG terminal given that the project is included on the European Commission's list of projects of common interest.

Hungary made an offer to buy a 25% stake in the LNG terminal in 2018.

The Croatian government decided in early 2018 to allocate €100 million for the project, notably €50 million in 2019 and €50 million in 2020. The remaining €32.6 million would be provided by the founders of the LNG Croatia company - the electricity provider HEP and the natural gas supplier Plinacro.

More energy news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, February 28, 2020 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman met with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto in Budapest on Friday and they agreed on the need to fight for a new common asylum policy and against illegal migration.

"It's necessary to fight for a new common asylum policy and against illegal migration and smuggling," Grlić Radman said. "It's necessary to distinguish between refugees, where we are bound by the Geneva Convention, and illegal migration, on which some smuggling rings are making a lot of money."

Budapest and Zagreb share the same views also on EU enlargement and the EU's ambitious Multiannual Financial Framework, Grlić Radman said.

He reiterated that Zagreb and Budapest had "centuries of uninterrupted ties" and excellent relations, that the two peoples were "well-connected" and that, in the European context, the two countries were an example of a good solution concerning minority communities.

The two ministers also talked about Croatia's current presidency of the European Union. Grlić Radman recalled that in 2011, when Hungary chaired the EU, it helped Croatia a lot. "Thanks to Hungary, we completed the negotiations and became an EU member within two years."

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 18, 2020 - Croatian People's Party (HNS) leader Ivan Vrdoljak on Tuesday condemned an announcement by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban that "the alliance against the European Union will include Croatia too," and called on PM Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović to "stand in defence of a pro-European Croatia."

Vrdoljak said in a press release that "extremists, nationalists and populists like Orban want to drag the EU and Croatia backwards," to violations of the fundamental principles of democracy, rule of law, freedom of the press and human rights.

As a liberal party that advocates a pro-European, open and tolerant Croatia, the HNS condemns Orban's announcement that the "alliance against the EU will include Croatia too."

"We no longer have the right to remain silent and passively observe initiatives that directly threaten the freedom of each one of us, the freedom of all EU citizens," the press release said. It is up to the liberals to stand up in defence of common values - from freedom to humanity.

Vrdoljak called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović and other political stakeholders in Croatia to take a clear stand on Orban's initiative and to stand in defence of a modern and pro-European Croatia.

Underscoring that a united Europe with its democratic and economic standards is a good place for its population to live and work in, the HNS wants to say that anyone that works against it is working in the interest of others and not Europeans.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 9, 2019 - Croatia and Hungary signed a cultural cooperation programme for 2019-2021 in Zagreb on Monday, covering all areas of culture and heritage, particularly care about the ethnic minorities.

The document was signed by Croatian Minister of Culture Nina Obuljen Koržinek and Hungarian Minister of Human Resources Miklos Kasler, who is also responsible for culture. They both expressed their satisfaction with the content of the programme.

Speaking to the press, Obuljen Koržinek said that the programme was the result of good and constructive negotiations and that it covered all areas of culture and heritage, especially care about the ethnic minorities.

She said that during the Croatian presidency of the European Union in the first half of next year some specific projects would be carried out in Hungary, including an exhibition of paintings by Miroslav Kraljević at the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest.

Obuljen Koržinek said that the central event during the Croatian EU presidency would be a Zagreb-Budapest exhibition, which is co-organised by the two countries on the model of the Zagreb-Vienna exhibition. She also announced visits by the Croatian National Theatre and the Lado folk dance troupe.

Obuljen Koržinek pointed out the excellent cooperation in promoting cultural programmes by the Hungarian minority in Croatia and the Croatian minority in Hungary, thanking Hungary for supporting the Croatian Theatre in Pecs. She said she was confident that the cooperation would be further affirmed and intensified in the years ahead.

Kasler said that Croatian-Hungarian cultural relations had been very dynamic in all areas in recent time, including with regard to performing arts, education, heritage and the ethnic minorities.

The agreement signed has actually expanded the areas of activity and cultural cooperation, he said, adding that he believes that there will be even more opportunities for joint events during the Croatian EU presidency.

Kasler also met with Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica and exchanged views on the state of public administration in the two countries.

More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 29, 2019 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Thursday that Croatia and Hungary were friendly countries that were interested in strengthening cooperation and developing cross-border projects.

After meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Osijek, Plenković told reporters that the opening of the newly-built student dormitory of the Hungarian Educational and Cultural Centre in Osijek, whose construction was financed by the Croatian government with 10 million kuna, was a symbol of respect for the Hungarian minority in Croatia.

We are glad the Hungarian government cares about Croats living in Hungary, supporting similar projects and centres that exist in a number of Hungarian towns, added Plenković.

He said that he and his Hungarian counterpart also discussed Croatia's preparations for EU presidency and its priorities - a Europe that grows and develops; a Europe that connects; a Europe that protects; and a Europe that is globally influential.

Plenković added that special emphasis would be put on three major political issues - the regulation of future relations with Great Britain, if the country leaves the EU on January 31; continuation of talks on the EU's next seven-year budget; and a summit meeting of EU and Southeast European countries in Zagreb, focusing on EU enlargement.

Orban said that the priorities of Croatia's EU presidency were close to Hungary, and that both countries believed that EU accession criteria had to be the same for all countries aspiring to join the EU.

Speaking of bilateral relations, Orban said that those relations had historically good foundations, based not only on friendship but also on occasional strategic cooperation.

In that context, minorities have an important role in both countries, Orban said, adding that his government did its best to provide for the Croat minority in Hungary and that he was glad to see Croatia doing its best to enable the Hungarian minority to preserve its identity, culture and education.

He stressed that he was very optimistic with regard to the future.

Answering a reporter's question, Orban said that relations between the INA and MOL oil companies were not discussed at today's talks as they focused on regional issues.

Asked if he and Plenković discussed the suspension of his Fidesz party's membership in the European People's Party (EPP), which was also supported by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and ways of overcoming the problem, Orban said that he respected the HDZ as the ruling Croatian party very much because he had started cooperating with Croatian politicians back at the time of the first Croatian president, Franjo Tuđman, with whom, he said, he had cooperated well.

He said that the HDZ would always be on Fidesz's side because they shared the same values, and that it would never betray it.

Fidesz will decide about its fate on its own and it has to see if the new EPP leadership, elected at a recent congress in Zagreb, would continue drawing closer to the left or not, said Orban.

Should the EPP continue drawing closer to the left, that is not our path. If the EPP is willing to reconsider what it is doing now and return to Christian-national roots, we can continue acting within the EPP. We need a little time to make a decision, two to three months at least, he said.

Asked if he was following events regarding presidential elections in Croatia and to comment on presidential candidate and former PM Zoran Milanovic's statement that Orban was not his kind of people, Orban said that the decision on the next Croatian president should be made by Croats and that he did not want to make any comments on the matter.

It is a fact that Croatian-Hungarian relations suffered a lot at the time when the politician whom you mention was Croatia's prime minister, said Orban.

More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 28, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban formally opened the newly-built student dormitory of the Hungarian Educational and Cultural Centre in the eastern Croatian city of Osijek on Thursday.

The dormitory will house 52 students. Its construction was financed by the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education with about 10 million kuna (1.35 million euro) and the cornerstone was laid in October 2018 by the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandroković, and his Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Kover.

Plenković said that Croatia and Hungary were friends and neighbours and that the Hungarians living in Croatia and Croats living in Hungary were the biggest link in relations between the two countries. He said that the two governments were committed to fostering the identity, culture, education and tradition of the two communities.

Plenković said that the Hungarian Educational and Cultural Centre and the student dormitory would help promote the education and preserve the identity of the Hungarian community.

"These are the standards that Croatia provides to the minorities in Croatia and expects such protection of minority rights for the Croats living in the neighbouring countries. It is most important to us that these two communities feel good, both in Croatia and in Hungary, as confirmed by their status and cooperation. Communication through the minorities improves overall relations between the two countries," the Croatian PM said.

Orban thanked the Croatian government for financing the construction of the student dormitory. He thanked the Croats in Hungary for maintaining their Croatian identity and thus contributing to the wealth and diversity of Hungary and the Hungarians in Croatia for maintaining their Hungarian identity and helping the Hungarian people to be even bigger.

Orban recalled that "80, 90 or 100 years ago Slavonia and the Hungarian county of Baranya were the richest parts of our state" and were envied by others because of their high living standards.

"I simply don't believe that if we already managed to accomplish something in the course of history we wouldn't be able to repeat again. I believe that it will happen once again that people will be envious of the Hungarian county of Baranya and Slavonia in Croatia," Orban said.

"Only a person who thinks that the place where they live is the centre of the world can be successful," he added.

"We must connect our countries, because if we stay on the periphery and isolated, we are destined to fail. If Croatia finally enters the Schengen area, which we fully support, the last obstacle will be cleared and the path will be opened to a free flow of business, culture and sports, and we will be in an enviable position again," the Hungarian PM said.

"Trust me, what I'm talking about is possible. If over the next ten years Croatia has as committed a government as this and if Hungary keeps a nationally-minded government for another ten years, we will come back here with Andrej to check whether what have stated is true," Orban said.

Orban said that emigration was fashionable today and that this problem was faced not just by Croatia, but by Hungary as well. He said that it was important for young people leaving their country to realise that they have a country where they are not foreigners and where they can return.

"Both governments are working to make this a place worth returning to. This process has already begun in Hungary, and what has begun in Hungary will also happen in Croatia," Orban concluded.

More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 17, 2019 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman took part in the marking of the 19th Croats Day in Baja, Hungary on Saturday, underlining the connection of Croats and Hungarians in the past and the present.

It is a well-known fact that Croats and Hungarians are linked by a shared past and a European present, he said, according to a press release from the ministry.

Croats are a recognised national minority in Hungary.

The minister said the contribution of Hungarian Croats to the nurturing of Croatian customs and cultural heritage was visible at many levels, and that Croatia would continue to support them. He thanked everyone who has cultivated the Croatian language, tradition, culture and customs in Hungary for centuries.

He said the government was investing a lot of effort to unite Croats at home and abroad.

"All that has been achieved so far and the special ties with Croats outside the homeland oblige us to continue to encourage development, to adapt and carry out the necessary reforms, to acquire new knowledge, standards and values so that we can ensure further progress and enable future generations on both sides of the border to live better lives," the press release quoted him as saying.

More diaspora news can be found in the dedicated section.