BRATISLAVA, June 8, (WEBNOVINY) — Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda considers the statements of Speaker of Hungarian Parliament Laszlo Kover in an interview for the daily HOSPODARSKE NOVINY inconsiderate and inappropriate. Kover said in Monday’s interview for the Czech business daily that Hungary could have used military force, since Slovakia allegedly brutally changed the border with Hungary by building the Gabcikovo hydropower project. “Anyway, they were inconsiderate, inappropriate and pose not even a minimal threat to Slovakia,” said Dzurinda during a break in the Cabinet session. He, however, did not say whether the Foreign Ministry plans a reaction or other steps following Kover’s statements Dzurinda underscored that it is not good to speculate in media or in public about intentions, but rather to report decisions.
Dzurinda said that earlier on Wednesday, Speaker of Slovak Parliament Richard Sulik reacted appropriately to Kover’s words. Sulik stated that Kover lied about Slovakia and belittled Slovakia’s citizens. “This statement is outrageous: threatening military intervention or mentioning military intervention in neighborhood relations between two countries is something that has no place in the vocabulary of good neighbors,” was Sulik’s reaction.
Dzurinda also reacted to appeals of the strongest opposition party SMER-SD, which wants Slovakia to react to “the biting slap” from Budapest. “If SMER’s intention is to help the Hungarian Republic distract attention, then I am sorry about that. It is a disservice to Slovakia. But I do not intend to participate in helping the Hungarian Republic divert attention from its approval of several non-European paragraphs,” stated Dzurinda. He did not say whether he would recommend that Prime Minister Iveta Radicova address the issue at the upcoming session of V4 prime ministers. “I know how I am to speak with my prime minister and she will inform you then,” he stated.
SITA