Addressing a session of the Croatian parliamentary European affairs committee in Zagreb, the ambassador today presented Hungary's priorities during its six-month EU presidency, which started on 1 July.
HDZ MP Andro Krstulović Opara asked the diplomat if during that period Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban would make use of his friendship with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to convince Belgrade that it is necessary for Serbia to be more oriented towards Europe and less towards the 'Serbian world' that it is exporting to the region.
Demcsák, who supports EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, said that during the presidency, Budapest will have more opportunities to talk with all the candidate countries and remind them of their obligations if their goal is European integration.
"Then they must meet European standards, and that includes good neighbourly relations, because that is one of the fundamental values of the European Union," he said.
Countries in the region often accuse Belgrade of exporting instability to the region. The last such case was the voting of the resolution on Jasenovac in Podgorica, which was the decision of the pro-Serbian parties in Montenegro in response to the resolution in Srebrenica in the United Nations. The Croatian political elite, and some Montenegrin politicians, assessed this as an attempt by Serbia to worsen relations between Zagreb and Podgorica and Montenegro's European path as the country closest to European membership.
Krstulović Opara also asked the ambassador about Orban's recent trips to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing. On Tuesday, the Hungarian Prime Minister is in Washington for a meeting at the top of the NATO alliance.
Demcsák said that Budapest is leading a "new type of diplomacy" that "is open globally to all political factors." He underscored that difficult issues should not be avoided, but should be directly identified, therefore, there is no alternative to dialogue.
He added that Orban had announced his visits to NATO allies in advance and that he would submit a report to other EU countries after the meeting in Washington.
"We cannot negotiate on behalf of the EU, but we can share our experience," he said.