The Government would like Hungarian communities abroad to preserve their national identity, language and culture, as well as their links to Hungary, Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics said on Monday.

Mr Navracsics, who is also Minister of Public Administration and Justice, told a training session for Hungarian language teachers working in the West that Hungary's European Union membership offers a new opportunity to develop closer ties with the Hungarian diaspora living abroad. At the same time, new working opportunities outside Hungary attract many young people who then develop new expatriate communities, he added.

The training session for Hungarian teachers working abroad is being held in Balatonalmádi in western Hungary for the 13th time. The week-long event has attracted 28 participants from several countries, including Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)