ICE - special Talks with Hungary: a success or failure for Slovakia?
The Hungarian government is pretty upbeat about their talks with the Slovaks about their ethnic minorities. But does the Slovak government feel as confident? Oxana Ferjencikova of Radio Slovakia International says reaction to the talks in her country has been more muted
Oxana Ferjencikova
"They of course welcomed this step that the agreement
was reached - that actually they say the outcome of the Slovak-Hungarian
foreign ministers meeting was that Budapest will provide support for
Hungarian minorities in Slovakia based on the treaty on good neighbourly
relations which was signed in 1995."
But have they been as positive as the Hungarians about this newest development - how do the general public feel about it?
"I think the general public is quite indifferent towards this issue. The press is more specific. I would say most of the dailies say that the agreement is a reasonable step but not a great success."
You say in the press, it's not seen as so much of a breakthrough as it has been by the Hungarians. Why do you think there is this difference of opinion between the Hungarians and the Slovaks?
"The thing is that the government didn't want to start negotiations themselves at all, they condemned the whole act and that's why I think that many people think - and I'm talking more about the Opposition - that Slovakia somehow failed and it was a compromise made by the Slovak diplomacy, whereas the Hungarians side I think had the reason to celebrate the meeting, because the Hungarians made the Slovaks to sit at the table."
So it sounds like a step in the right direction but the matter is by no means over.
"Definitely it is not and there will be many negotiations to be held in the future. Because one side, the Slovaks, says the law should not be applicable on the territories of a different country and the other side says they're helping their ex-pats living in neighbouring countries so they have to find a common field."
