Budapest, Sep 19 (IANS): The European Union (EU) accession process for the Western Balkan countries must be accelerated, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said.

"The EU's economic performance is showing increasingly weaker results, and to stop this European economic decline and give new impetus to the continent, the accession process of the Western Balkan countries must be accelerated," Szijjarto said at a joint press conference with visiting Serbian Economy Minister Adrijana Mesarovic in Budapest.

The Foreign Minister added that the EU needs momentum, freshness, and new energy, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We now see that the EU needs the Western Balkan countries more than the Western Balkan countries need EU membership, and it's time for Brussels to understand this as well," Szijjarto said.

In addition to the EU accession discussions, Szijjarto highlighted the successful economic cooperation between Hungary and Serbia, particularly in critical areas such as energy security. This partnership, he said, has made both countries more resilient to crises and challenges.

He underlined that Hungary relies on Serbia as a reliable transit country for its gas supply, with more than 20 million cubic metres of gas arriving daily from Serbia via the TurkStream pipeline.

Szijjarto also mentioned ongoing and future projects, including connecting the two countries' oil and electricity networks, which will further strengthen their strategic cooperation.