BRATISLAVA / KARLOVY VARY, November 6, (WEBNOVINY) — The friendly cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary was the subject of a bilateral meeting of the Presidents of Hungary and the Slovak Republic Pal Schmitt and Ivan Gasparovic at the Visegrad Group (V4) summit in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, on Friday afternoon. As spokesman for the Slovak president Marek Trubac told SITA further, President Gasparovic was glad to meet his Hungarian counterpart at the V4 summit only a few months after he was elected. „These meetings and our common membership in NATO and the EU are a good basis for friendly cooperation,“ said Schmitt.
Ivan Gasparovic praised the level of cross-border cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary. At the regional level we are managing to create many positive projects beneficial for both parties. Similarly, he described as good the economic and trade relations with our southern neighbor. In intergovernmental relations, Slovakia and Hungary should focus on future friendly cooperation, according to President Gasparovic. „I would appreciate if we focused more on the future than the past, which burdens us,“ he said.
Hungarian President Schmitt is convinced that tensions in Slovakia-Hungarian relations are gradually receding and that future cooperation will develop in a good atmosphere. „I expect [ethnic] Hungarians living in Slovakia to be good citizens of Slovakia. Then they can objectively claim their rights,“ said President Schmitt. He noted that he cares for good relations and friendship with Slovakia. He focused attention on implementing the objectives of the Danube Strategy, which is one of the priorities of the forthcoming Hungarian presidency in the V4. He reiterated that he cares that [ethnic] Hungarians living in Slovakia feel comfortable, informed Trubac.
President Gasparovic opened the topic of the minority language law and minority policy of both countries. „The Slovak Republic is based on the principle of civil rights and therefore we reject attempts to exercise collective rights of minorities,“ he said, referring efforts of some political representatives of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia. Schmitt stated that the concerns raised by Hungary related to penalties for violations of the language law in Slovakia. Slovak President assured him that the fines only concern corporate entities and not individual citizens using their mother tongue in everyday life.
The Slovak president pointed out that V4 is an area for expansion of mutual neighborhood relations. He invited the Hungarian president for an official visit to the Slovak Republic. Schmitt expressed his belief that a visit to Slovakia will be a good signal for the citizens of both countries.
SITA