MINELRES: RFE/RL on minority issues (2 October 2003)

[MINELRES moderator]

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RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 7, No. 188, Part II, 2 October 2003

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...WHILE VISEGRAD FOUR PREMIERS HOLD CONSULTATIONS IN CENTRAL BOHEMIA... 

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....DISAGREEING ON MINORITY RIGHTS. The Czech, Polish, and Slovak prime
ministers refused to support the position of their Hungarian counterpart
Medgyessy on the need to have a reference to minority rights included in
the proposed European constitution, TASR reported. RFE/RL quoted Slovak
Prime Minister Dzurinda as saying: "The Charter of Human Rights and
Freedoms of the EU defends the rights of minorities and [that charter]
is also included in the draft of the EU constitution. We consider that
right and appropriate." MS

SLOVAK COALITION HAS NEW CONFLICT TO FIGHT OVER... According to a TASR
report, the conflict-ridden four-party center-right Slovak coalition on
1 October added to its long list of issues of contention a new problem.
Hungarian Coalition Party Chairman Bela Bugar said his formation cannot
agree and will not forget the position taken on 29 September by Foreign
Minister Eduard Kukan in Brussels, when he opposed Budapest's proposal
to have collective minority rights mentioned in the envisaged European
constitution. Bugar said that for the Hungarian minority in Slovakia the
issue is an existential one. Kukan countered by saying that every Slovak
government since 1993 has been opposed to collective minority rights and
the current cabinet is no different. Kukan said it was both unrealistic
and unfair of the Hungarian government to bring up this issue on the eve
of the Intergovernmental Conference in Rome, when Budapest is well aware
that it has never managed to enlist support for its position. Kukan also
denied that he criticized Hungary at the Brussels meeting, saying: "Do
not make a hero of me.... I mentioned neither Budapest, nor Hungary, nor
national minorities in my address" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 30 September
2003). MS

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HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES MINORITY RIGHTS IN UN SPEECH.
Laszlo Kovacs on 1 October told the UN General Assembly in New York that
Hungary is committed to promoting the international protection of
minority rights, Hungarian radio reported. Regional agreements exist,
but there is still no universal document on the protection of these
rights, Kovacs said. Hungary believes that the UN is capable of
addressing that need, he concluded. Speaking about Iraq, Kovacs said the
country's reconstruction should be a priority, and suggested that the UN
play a role in restoring Iraqi sovereignty. MSZ

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U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS STILL SUFFERING IN ROMANIA.
The U.S. Congressional Commission for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, also known as the United States Helsinki Commission, said on 1
October that Romania has made major progress in the field of human
rights observance and building democracy, but that more needs to be
done, an RFE/RL correspondent in Washington reported. A Helsinki
Commission briefing was called to discuss the status of ethnic
minorities in Romania, the growth of civil society, the fight against
corruption, and progress in democratic development. The commission said
these issues are likely to affect the outcome of the parliamentary
elections that will take place in 2004 or 2005. Members of the panel
noted that Romania faces widespread poverty and that corruption and
bureaucratic delays hinder foreign investment. MS

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