Budapest - The visa requirement for Serbians travelling to the European Union could be lifted as early as January, the prime ministers of Hungary and Serbia said after talks in the Hungarian capital on Monday.

Hungarian prime minister Gordon Bajnai and his Serbian counterpart Mirko Cvetkovic spoke of strengthening ties between their neighbouring countries, the local news agency MTI reported.

"Hungary is among the most committed supporters of Serbia's accession to the EU, and is in the front ranks of those countries pushing for the lifting of visa restrictions," Bajnai said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn told the Serbian state news agency Tanjug that the European Commission will adopt recommendations for the lifting of visa restrictions on July 14.

EU foreign ministers agreed in principal to waiving visa requirement for the Balkan states Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro at a meeting in mid-June.

Some 300,000 ethnic Hungarians live in northern Serbia.(dpa)