Hungary continues to seek direct dialogue with Slovakia on disputed issues instead of sending messages through the media, the Foreign Ministry said late on Tuesday.
The ministry’s press department head, Gabor Kaleta, was reacting to a statement on the Slovak foreign ministry’s website that the ministry had complained to Hungarian ambassador Csaba Balogh about Hungary’s failure to inform the Slovak ministry and parliament in advance about a Hungarian parliamentary committee session held in Komarno, Slovakia, last week.
On Tuesday, Balogh was summoned by department head in charge of European relations at the Slovak foreign ministry Frantisek Ruzicka. The Slovak ministry said the meeting had focused on protocol issues connected with Slovak and Hungarian visits to one another’s countries.
The Slovak statement said that the Hungarian parliament’s national committee session in Komarno on June 27 was not in keeping with good neighbourly relations between Slovakia and Hungary, which serves both countries’ interests.
Ruzicka told Balogh at the meeting that in order to prevent misunderstandings, Hungary should always act in line with the diplomatic protocol in the future.
Kaleta confirmed to MTI that Balogh and Ruzicka had reviewed protocol in connection with bilateral meetings. Hungary continues to work towards the positive development of Hungarian-Slovak relations, as well as resolving disputes through dialogue, he added.
