Strong Hungarian-Romanian relations are indispensable for a strong central Europe, parliament’s foreign affairs committee chairman Zsolt Nemeth said in Baile Tusnad (Tusnadfurdo) in central Romania on Wednesday.

Addressing the opening event of the 25th Balvanyos Summer Free University and Student Camp, Nemeth stressed the need to build confidence between the two nations, with the ethnic minorities’ legitimate representatives involved in the process, and restart Hungarian-Romanian at the highest level.

Nemeth said that the past 25 years had been characterised by “waning distrust and strengthening common interests”.

Hungary wants to see a prospering and safe central Europe integrated into the western alliance systems, a democratic region where human and minority rights are fully respected, he added.

Nemeth expressed support for continuing Serbia’s EU integration, a process that started in recent years.

Nemeth condemned the alleged shooting of the Malaysian passenger jet in eastern Ukraine as a “shameful act of terrorism”. He insisted that the crisis should be managed much more resolutely and successfully.