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Gasparovic: Change of Government Could Improve Slovak-Hungarian Relations
Saturday 07 August 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, August 6 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic believes that the recent change of government in Slovakia could improve its strained relations with Hungary, he told TASR in an interview.
But he stressed he saw bilateral tensions only in terms of ethnic minorities as both countries have a problem-free mutual cooperation in economic, foreign, investment or other areas.
The head of state blamed Slovakia's Hungarian minority problems on Hungarian governments which regarded the local Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), rather than Slovak government, as their negotiating partner.
Gasparovic believes that today's government has an advantage because SMK has failed to gain parliamentary representation after June 12 elections, scoring less than 5 percent voter support.
SMK said in reaction it wants to draw President's attention to the bad state-language legislation or a whole new education act allowing for the issuance of 'hybrid' textbooks for the schools teaching classes in Hungarian, which were not of their making but of the previous government.
In close, Gasparovic said he invited his new Hungarian counterpart Pal Schmitt for a visit to Slovakia but has not received reply yet. They could however hold talks as part of a meeting of Hungarian, Slovak, Poland and Czech presidents scheduled to take place towards the end of 2010.
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