BRATISLAVA, November 23, (WEBNOVINY) — In response to criticism from Hungary, the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry maintains that the current situation and the case of Komarno businessman Oliver Boldoghy, whose Slovak citizenship was recently revoked, are the result of non-standard Hungarian citizenship legislation. Hungarian citizenship can be acquired on the basis of ethnicity, without any real ties of the person to the Republic of Hungary, informed the MFA. On Tuesday, the Hungarian Cabinet denounced actions of Slovak authorities that revoked ethnic Hungarian Boldoghy’s Slovak citizenship; it was revoked on the basis of the law on citizenship, according to which Slovak citizens who, based on their free will, acquire another citizenship lose the Slovak one. However, Budapest considers revoking Boldoghy’s Slovak citizenship as unacceptable and is ready to help him in any way possible.
“The principle that a person’s citizenship ceases by voluntarily acquiring another citizenship [of a different country] does not collide with European norms and values; on the contrary, it is assumed in the European Convention on Citizenship and is also included in relevant legislation of several EU countries,” stated the MFA, adding that Slovakia is from the beginning exercising efforts to deal with dual citizenship through bilateral dialogue with Hungary. In February, Hungary was handed a draft Slovak-Hungarian treaty which would regulate the issue of dual citizenship in accordance with generally recognized principles of international law. Hungary has finally agreed to discuss the draft after several urgent requests from Slovakia; the negotiations are to take place on December 14.
“We are convinced that we will succeed in building Slovak-Hungarian relations only then when they are based upon mutual trust and respecting international norms and standards. We are interested in Slovak citizens of all nationalities having equal conditions for fully-fledged development, fulfilling their needs, preserving their identity so that Slovakia would be the homeland of all Slovak citizens regardless of their nationality. This interest remains permanent and incontestable,” the press department of the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry concludes its statement.
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