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Lajcak: Slovakia Not Only One Reacting Negatively to Dual Citizenship
Tuesday 18 May 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, May 18 (TASR) - The amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act that may be approved soon by the Hungarian Parliament has provoked negative reactions not only in Slovakia, said Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak on Tuesday.
"We have various signals that the new Hungarian Parliament's measure is viewed with incomprehension, confusion, but also with an openly negative reaction," said Lajcak after a Security Council session.
In this connection, Lajcak pointed to statements made by U.S. Congressman Alcee L. Hastings, who, according to Lajcak, made "a very negative statement concerning these measures and even drew a certain parallel with the situation that led to the Russian-Georgian war".
Lajcak on Monday briefed ambassadors of EU and NATO countries in Slovakia on the issue. According to him, the granting of citizenship by Hungary would strengthen ethnic identity to the detriment of the state one. In addition, an institutional link between Slovak citizens and Hungary would be created. "I emphasised that this law doesn't offer anything to our citizens, so its influence on Slovakia is solely political," he stated.
Lajcak also told the ambassadors that voices questioning the post-war arrangement of Europe can still be heard. "Such reactions are incredibly dangerous at this time. If they were approached by certain regions of the former Soviet Union or Yugoslavia, it could have far-reaching negative effects on stability in Europe," he warned. The Slovak ministry has also instructed its ambassadors in OSCE countries to inform the governments of the states in which they are accredited.
Slovak Ambassador in Hungary Peter Weiss is now back in Budapest after being summoned to Slovakia for consultations over the controversial bill. Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed that Slovakia still hasn't reached the point at which it would be ready to withdraw its ambassador from Budapest. "We need the ambassador now so that he will be in Budapest and send quality information. Now we have to fight on all fronts and not to play the offended. That wouldn't help anybody. This is about Slovakia now," stressed Fico.
"If our talks don't lead to any conclusion, we'll take tough counter-measures," he announced, adding that Slovakia rejects the way in which Hungary announced its legislative plans to Slovakia, but still honours the Slovak-Hungarian fundamental agreement, meaning that it will act in a standard European way. Slovakia will also use all possible means to inform the international public about the dangers it sees coming out of the Hungarian amendment.
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