His Excellency

Mr. Max van der Stoel

OSCE High Commissioner

on National Minorities

The Hague

Budapest, October 27, 1996

Dear Mr. High Commissioner,

First of all, allow me to thank you for your letter of August 13 and the recommendations made therein. Apologizing for the delay in responding to your observations, I also take the opportunity to express once more my genuine appreciation for the excellent work the team of experts did throughout their many visits to Hungary.

Before turning to your recommendations regarding the situation of the Slovak minority in Hungary, let me briefly state that developments since the holding of the conference "Hungary and Hungarians abroad" have most certainly contributed to allaying possible misgivings that might have arisen in this connection. I would nonetheless like to say that I found your remarks on this subject unquestionable and in line with the policy of my Government.

As far as your recommendations regarding the situation of the Slovak minority in Hungary are concerned, the following comments would seem appropriate.

I would like to assure you that the Hungarian-Slovak Expert Committee has sufficient funds for its work. The Committee, assisted by the National Slovak Minority Self-government, has recently launched a comprehensive survey of the situation of the Slovaks in Hungary with the aim of recording their needs and requirements. The National Slovak Minority Self-government is also in charge of the evaluation of the received data. The project is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

The Hungarian Government, in harmony with its Declaration on Government Policy, is determined to further improve the minority educational system. Education is indeed essential for the national minorities in preserving and strengthening their identity. The Public Education Law passed recently by the Hungarian Parliament handles the issue as a priority, thus making sure that the demands of the minority communities will be met properly with funds from the state budget.

The introduction of parliamentary representation of the ethnic minorities continues to be part of the Government's agenda. A draft amendment to the Election Law has been prepared and is now the subject of further discussions in the Minority Interest Mediation Council. The aim of this amendment is to guarantee that national and ethnic minorities obtain parliamentary mandates in a preferential procedure.

Your recommendation regarding eventual institutionalization of the Minority Interest Mediation Council will be the subject of further considerations. However, the Hungarian Government holds the opinion that such a measure, not having been demanded so far by the respective minorities themselves, would prove necessary only if its efforts for the establishment of the preferential parliamentary representation failed.

Continual evaluation of the experience gathered from the functioning of the minority self-government system allows the Government to carry out the necessary corrections. I take the opportunity to inform you that, after having settled accommodation problems of the national minority self-government bodies last year, in the current year we reimbursed the local municipalities for any additional costs they might have incurred in connection with accommodation problems. Thus, in the case of about 100 settlements, mutually satisfying agreements could be reached. Moreover, minority self-governments will be granted higher allowances for their operational expenses in next year's state budget so that they can perform under better financial and technical circumstances. The state budget will also continue to subsidize their various projects through the Hungarian Public Foundation for National and Ethnic Minorities which had been founded to ensure that the distribution of funds is impartial and free of any interference from the Government.

I have pleasure in reporting to you that the Slovak Cultural Center in Bekescsaba will open in November 1996. Its establishment was helped with a 20 million Forint subsidy by the Hungarian Government and with a real estate donation by the Municipality of Bekescsaba. The Slovak Government also joined the investment with 5 million Forints and the contributions of some Dutch foundations were considerable as well. I sincerely hope that your next visit to Hungary will give you an opportunity to see the Center.

Finally, Mr. High Commissioner, allow me to congratulate and express my best wishes to you upon your winning the Wateler Peace Prize. You have fully merited this noble distinction thanks to your dedicated work to protect human rights, including minority rights.

I hope to welcome you soon again in Budapest,

Yours sincerely,

(Kovacs Laszlo)