Orbán made critical remarks about the “slowdown” in the return of property into church and community ownership in Romania as well as a lack of developments concerning medical university education in the Hungarian language.

He said the Hungarian government regrets that Romania has pursued a policy over the past few years which evaded cooperation with Budapest. Hungary has demonstrated respect to both the Romanian people and its elected politicians, he said, adding that Hungary is following developments in the country “with hope”.

Concerning Slovakia, Orbán said after no ethnic Hungarian party had made it into the Slovak Parliament Hungary aimed to forge a “very close” relationship with Slovakia along the lines of economic cooperation, which is hoped to help Hungarians living there. Economic achievements are clear, Orbán said, mentioning the planned new Danube bridge at Komárom as an example.

“Slovak- Hungarian relations have not been this balanced for a long time,” he said. On Transcarpathia, in western Ukraine, Orbán said he welcomed the end of divisions and the start of cooperation among Hungarians living there.

As regards Vojvodina in north Serbia, Orbán said the building of relations had been going in the right directions for years and Hungary’s policy for Hungarian communities abroad has no interest in seeing any breaks in the unity that has formed there.

Orbán said in a message to Hungarians in Croatia that he hopes they will have a government which regards “national sentiment as a positive force in state creation.” To Slovenia Orbán said Hungary would extend all possible help with the migrant situation there.

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