PRIME ministers of Slovakia and Czech Republic Mikuláš Dzurinda and Vladimír Špidla agreed that the countries would act jointly in negotiations with Liechtenstein, news wire SITA reported.
Liechtenstein conditions its signature of a treaty on enlargement of the European Economic Area on the acknowledgement that it was a neutral country during the Second World War by Slovakia and the Czech Republic. This would enable the principality to claim compensation for property the Liechtenstein family owned in Moravia (Czech Republic) in the 20th century, and which was confiscated after both world wars on the basis of the Beneš decrees.
The European Economic Area consists of fifteen European Union member countries and three countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), i.e. Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland.
Countries accessing the EU will expand the EEA. Some officials think that Liechtenstein should turn to the European Court of Human Rights with the case and not block enlargement of the purely economic union.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
