Pásztor István Prize awarded to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic

The Pásztor István Prize - awarded for the second time this year - has been awarded to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, the Pásztor István Foundation announced on Friday.

According to the laudation, "Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been awarded the prize for his abiding and crucial role in historical appeasement between the Hungarian and Serbian nations, the intensification of good neighbourly relations, and the building and strengthening of strategic partnership between the two countries," while President Aleksandar Vucic has been recognised "for his crucial role played in creating trust, cooperation and strategic partnership between the two peoples." According to the communication, Mr Vucic is also responsible "for the decision of historic significance with which the principle of the collective guilt of the Hungarians was erased from the Serbian legal system on 30 October 2014 during his term as prime minister."

"The prize has been conferred upon the awardees in recognition of the joint efforts of historic significance which they started together with István Pásztor, and thanks to which Hungarian-Serbian relations have solidified into a firm strategic partnership and represent an example to be followed throughout Europe," the communication reads.

The communication also recalls that the Pásztor István Foundation was established on 12 June 2024 in order to befittingly preserve the spiritual and political heritage of [the late President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians] István Pásztor, to foster his memory and to pass on his example as a model to future generations.

Missions of the foundation include supporting sick children, talented young people, the needy and people finding themselves in force majeure situations, fostering István Pásztor's political and public life heritage, and awarding the Pásztor István Prize. The latter serves to recognise the work of those "who have achieved abiding results in the development of Serbian-Hungarian relations, and the intensification of friendship, trust and cooperation between the two nations."

Every year, the prize is awarded to two outstanding political figures - one Serbian and one Hungarian - who have contributed with their efforts to the development of Serbian-Hungarian relations.