Hungarian FM Discusses Mining Projects In Bosnian Serb Visit

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto (left) and Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik shake hands at a meeting last year.

Investments in mining projects in Republika Srpska were high on the agenda during Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto’s visit to Banja Luka on January 26, officials said. Hungary has given Republika Srpska, the Serb-dominated area of Bosnia-Herzegovina, generous loans and grants, including a 100 million-euro ($108 million) loan in 2021 to support its agriculture sector. In 2022, Hungary provided a 110 million-euro ($117 million) loan to help Republika Srpska finance its budget. It came from a Hungarian bank that has been accused of financing friends of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been a supporter of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.