The Visegrad Four - Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland - has not threatened to stay out of the European Union's new foreign service, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Balazs told MTI on Thursday, denying a Russian media report earlier in the day.

Russian news television channel Vesti 24 said that the four countries would boycott the European External Action Service (EEAS) unless "granted representation in proportion to their importance".

"The news is half true," said Balazs, however, adding that the Visegrad states had urged the EU in an informal document to ensure each member state diplomatic positions according to "a certain geographical proportionality". He also said that it was important to select EU diplomats on basis of "merit and achievement".

According to the website of the Russian TV channel, the Visegrad Group's claim to get positions in the diplomatic service in line with each country's "geographical weight" was backed by the Baltic states, as well as Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Romania.

The EU is expected to finalise the structure and size of the European diplomatic corps and appoint its officials on March 25-26, and submit its decisions to the European Parliament for final approval before the summer holidays starting on July 5.