The number of border crossings between Hungary and Slovakia will double in the next seven years, State Secretary for External Economic Relations and Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó said at the inauguration of a border crossing between Zemplénagárd and Velké Trakany on Tuesday.

Forty-six new crossings will be built and 14 existing ones renovated under a development programme that was approved by  the prime ministers of Hungary and Slovakia in July, he added. The two countries share a 770 km border stretch. Alltogether 25 of the new road and river links will be created within the European Union's 2014-2020 budgetary period, he pointed out.

Mr Szijjártó added that construction of a total 115 new links between Hungary and neighbouring countries is under way or currently being prepared. He said an insufficient number of border crossings was a serious drawback for Central Europe and a reversal is needed to make the region "the engine driving Europe's growth."

(Prime Minister’s Office)