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Hungarian FM says Brexit to put damper on EU enlargement

Xinhua, June 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto noted on Tuesday that should Britons vote to leave the EU, it would put a strong damper on enlargement of the bloc despite a strategic need to speed it up.

The words came when Szijjarto talked with his Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati in Budapest on Tuesday on Albania's aspirations to become a European Union member and on bilateral ties.

Szijjarto called on the European Commission to propose a date when the accession talks with Albania could begin, underlining Hungary's vested interest in peace and stability in the West Balkans.

Szijjarto also noted that should Britain vote to leave the EU, it would put a strong damper on enlargement.

Bushati welcomed Hungary's support, adding that his country was endeavoring to get as close to the EU as possible.

Szijjarto said that bilateral trade between Hungary and Albania had gone up by 16 percent in 2015, and rose by 25 percent in the first quarter of this year. He cited a 208 million-euro (235 million U.S. dollars) line of credit Hungary's Eximbank has made available to Hungarian and Albanian businesses to encourage cooperation.

Bushati underlined that the political ties between the two countries were excellent and boosting economic ties was a realistic possibility.

He added that direct flights between Budapest and Tirana would begin soon. Endit