Percorso:ANSA > Nuova Europa > News > Hungary, Romanian PM statement on minority unacceptable
Hungary, Romanian PM statement on minority unacceptable
FM Szijjarto, we expect Tudose to rectify his declaration
12 January, 17:03
(ANSA) - BUDAPEST - Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Trade, Peter Szijjarto, has said that the statement by Romanian
prime minister Mihai Tudose in relation to Hungarian autonomy
aspirations is totally unacceptable, and shows disgraceful
disregard for European values and 21st-century norms. Szijjarto
informed reporters that Romania's ambassador to Budapest had
been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on
Friday morning in relation to the affair, an official note
releases.
At his Friday press conference Szijjarto was responding to a
report on news portal Scnews.ro on Wednesday evening which
stated that the Romanian prime minister had told television news
station Realitatea the following in relation to Hungarian
autonomy aspirations: ''My answer is the same as it was when, to
mark some day or other, they tried to raise their flag. At the
time I made it clear that if that flag is fluttering in the
wind, the local people responsible for it will also be hanging
up there next to it''.
The Minister added, however, that ''It is beyond dispute that the statement by Romania's current prime minister - in which, to all intents and purposes, he threatened a national minority and its representatives with execution - is absolutely unacceptable, and shows an utterly disgraceful disregard for Europe, European values and 21st-century norms''.
During the meeting, Friday morning, the Romanian ambassador had tried to explain that the statement was a ''linguistic misunderstanding''. ''The Hungarian government's position, however, is that this isn't a question of semantics, but something much more important'', Szijjarto said, noting that ''in the interests of the Hungarian national minority living in Romania, Hungary's goal continues to be to maintain a balanced, calm and level-headed relationship with Romania based on mutual respect''. He added, however, that ''there is no doubt that this statement does not facilitate this''.
''We expect the Prime Minister and the Government of Romania to rectify the situation at the earliest opportunity'', the Hungarian Foreign minister concluded. (ANSA).
© Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
The Minister added, however, that ''It is beyond dispute that the statement by Romania's current prime minister - in which, to all intents and purposes, he threatened a national minority and its representatives with execution - is absolutely unacceptable, and shows an utterly disgraceful disregard for Europe, European values and 21st-century norms''.
During the meeting, Friday morning, the Romanian ambassador had tried to explain that the statement was a ''linguistic misunderstanding''. ''The Hungarian government's position, however, is that this isn't a question of semantics, but something much more important'', Szijjarto said, noting that ''in the interests of the Hungarian national minority living in Romania, Hungary's goal continues to be to maintain a balanced, calm and level-headed relationship with Romania based on mutual respect''. He added, however, that ''there is no doubt that this statement does not facilitate this''.
''We expect the Prime Minister and the Government of Romania to rectify the situation at the earliest opportunity'', the Hungarian Foreign minister concluded. (ANSA).
