Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda told the media that Hungary’s “poor law on dual citizenship” that its parliament passed last year was the reason why Peter Weiss, Slovakia’s Ambassador to Hungary, was summoned by the State Secretary of the Hungarian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Zsolt Németh, on November 22, the SITA newswire reported.
Neméth summoned Weiss in order to express Hungary's disapproval of the fact that ethnic-Hungarian entrepreneur Oliver Boldoghy was stripped of his Slovak citizenship after he acquired Hungarian citizenship. This is permitted under Slovakia's State Citizenship Act, which states that Slovak citizens granted citizenship of another country automatically lose their Slovak citizenship documents.
SITA reported that Dzurinda blamed the Hungarian law, which permits someone to acquire Hungarian citizenship on the basis of ethnicity without any actual ties to
Hungary, as the original source of the problem. Dzurinda added that Slovakia had suggested an agreement in February this year whereby such "stories" could be averted, saying the proposed agreement addressed the granting of dual citizenship in accordance with principles of international law.
“I hope Hungary has finally realised that an agreement would be a good thing for both countries,” Dzurinda said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that he could not understand why Hungary has been reticent to hold talks on the issue for months.
"All of a sudden I'm told that a mixed commission on the matter may hold a session on December 14," the minister said. He urged Hungary to reach an agreement on amending the Hungarian law in a way that would bring it in line with international standards.
Source: SITA, TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
