The Hungarian government has moved forward the goals of education policy, cross-border projects, human rights issues and institutional development in its relations with Hungarian communities abroad in 2012, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zsolt Németh stated on December 26.

Elections were held this year in each of the countries neighbouring Hungary where a large Hungarian community resides, which created new situations in relations, the State Secretary said.

He expressed hope that after the December 9 parliamentary elections a stable government would be formed in Romania and Hungary could continue to further expand the prosperous relations developed over past years, adding that rights of Hungarian communities in education, public administration reform and the restitution process would be particular focus areas.

As regards Slovakia, he noted efforts towards resolving contested issues based on dialogue, for instance the status of the Selye János University in Komarno. In open issues such as the dual citizenship, consultations have been launched on the level of foreign ministerial commissioners, State Secretary Németh added.

Concerning relations with Serbia, the Hungarian State Secretary noted the visit by President Tomislav Nikolic, who was elected in May and the openness he showed towards honouring the victims of the anti-Hungarian bloodshed of 1944-45. He also noted that two Hungarian men from Temerin, imprisoned in Serbia, had recently been granted presidential pardons.

State Secretary Németh said that Austria, Croatia and Slovenia, where only smaller Hungarian communities live, have also been important partners in regional cooperation in infrastructure development and energy projects.

(MTI; Ministry of Foreign Affairs)