Viktor Orbán

BELGRADE/BUDAPEST - Wrapping up an official visit to Budapest, Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic met on Monday with Hungarian PM Viktor Orban to discuss bilateral relations and regional stability.

Orban noted Hungary fully supported Serbia's European integration, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Low voter turnout invalidated Hungary's referendum on European Union refugee quotas, even though citizens voted overwhelmingly in support of the government's opposition to any future, mandatory EU schemes to relocate asylum-seekers.

The referendum on Sunday in Hungary on EU migrant quotas failed to reach the necessary threshold of 50 per cent support by a margin of 7 per cent.

The national poll held in Hungary on whether to ban mandatory relocation of migrants from Southern Europe is expected to be invalid as turnout is lower than the 50% threshold, media reports say.

Most of those who have participated in the referendum, however, have rejected mandatory quotas.

Hungarians are heading to the polls on Sunday to vote on whether their country should accept the EU's migrant relocation plan.

The alternative offered is to bar all resettlements of migrants from Southern Europe unless Parliament has given the green light.

Thousands of Hungarians took to the streets to protest against the anti-migrant policy of the government of PM Viktor Orban.

Leaders of Central European countries have formed "an alliance for the defense of their states and their way of life," says Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.

He made the statement on Sunday, in the wake of Saturday's "summit" on the refugee crisis, held in Vienna.

Human rights campaigners on Sept. 14 urged voters in Hungary to boycott what they termed an "inhumane" referendum on migrant relocation under an EU quota plan.

The appeal was made by 22 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including the Helsinki Committees for Human Rights group.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday Hungary "would be even glad to back" EU Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva for the post of UN Secretary General.

At a briefing with Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov in southeastern Bulgaria, not far from the Turkish border, Orbán made clear it was "up to Bulgaria" whether or not to raise her candidacy.

The future of the EU will be decided on Bulgaria's border with Turkey, not in Brussels, Viktor Orban has warned.

The Hungarian prime minister on Wednesday also called on the EU to give Bulgaria more money to help the country improve the defense of its borders.