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Foreign Ministry Welcomes EC's Decision Concerning Solyom's Visit
Thursday 24 June 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, June 24 (TASR) - The Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday issued a statement claiming that the issue concerning Slovakia's refusal to allow Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom to attend the unveiling of the Hungarian King Stephen I statue in August 2009 in Komarno will be closed with Thursday's ruling of the European Commission.
"At the same time, it will serve as an impetus for self-reflection for those who see the perpetrator as being only on one side," said Ministry spokesman Peter Stano for TASR.
Officials at the Ministry see the EC's decision as confirmation of Slovakia's argument. "The Commission confirmed Slovakia's claims that a president of one country cannot visit another country without its agreement, and that such visits cannot be considered as private," stated Stano.
The European Commission ruled on Thursday that Slovakia was not acting against the laws of the European Union Law when it denied entry to Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom into Komarno in August 2009,
Hungary claimed that on August 21, 2009 "Slovakia refused Solyom entry into the country", and cited Directive 2004/38/EC (on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States) to make its case.
The Slovak authorities considered that the visit of the Hungarian President on August 21 - which marked the 41st anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact (including Hungarian troops - posed a security risk and therefore decided to deny him entry to the country.
Subsequently, the Hungarian authorities filed a complaint to the Commission President in October 2009, calling on the Commission to launch infringement proceedings against Slovakia.
The Commission ruled that it was unable to bring infringement proceedings under the circumstances described, since "official visits by the head of one Member State to the territory of another Member State do not come under EU law and since Member States retain full control of their bilateral diplomatic relations."
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