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Foreign Affairs Ministry Shocked by Hungary Rejecting Consultations
Wednesday 19 May 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, May 19 (TASR) - The stance taken by Hungary on proposed consultations on the controversial amendment to the dual citizenship act submitted to the Hungarian Parliament is shocking and unprecedented in diplomatic practice, Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Peter Stano said on Wednesday.
Stano was speaking in reaction to the Hungarian side refusing bilateral consultations of experts in an official letter. Slovakia was demanding the consultations on the basis of the Treaty on Good Neighbourly Relations and Friendly Co-operation between Slovakia and Hungary.
"The reasoning sent by the Hungarian side reads that a caretaker Government is in power until the new Government is established and it refers to a possible agreement on such consultations only after the new Hungarian Government is established," specified Stano, adding that such s situation is shocking. "It implies that in Hungary, when a legislative bill with extra-territorial influence is discussed in the Hungarian Parliament, the proper institutional framework for negotiating with the affected neighbouring state is missing," the ministry points out.
Slovakia expects that Hungarian representatives will re-evaluate their approach, as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico as well as Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak re-confirmed their interest in resolving the bilateral conflict through bilateral negotiations.
Slovak ambassador to Hungary Peter Weiss has on behalf of Slovakia asked for a bilateral meeting of Prime Ministers. Fico wants to meet his (designated) Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban as soon as possible, even before the amendment on dual citizenship is approved in the Hungarian parliament.
Fico views the Hungarian stance as ridiculous, as the given amendment will probably have been approved by the time the new Hungarian Government is appointed, so there will be no point in discussing the law.
Premier Fico also assured ethnic-Hungarians, who are Slovak citizens, that the Slovak Government won't take any measures aimed against them. "This is a serious bilateral measure with an immense impact on Slovak-Hungarian relations. It's an obligation for incoming premier Orban to discuss these matters," said Fico.
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