ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - Of all neighbouring countries, Croatia has the best relations with Hungary so the Status Law, to which Croatia has no major objections as it is in line with the Croatian legislature, was a subject of open
dialogue, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told Hina on Friday. On January 1, Hungary enforced a law on Hungarians in neighbouring countries, the status law, which gives ethnic Hungarians in Croatia, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia and Ukraine special rights including benefits in education, temporary work permits and residence permits, as well as travels across Hungary. "Hungarians passed the law not for the Hungarian minority in Croatia but Hungarians in other neighbouring countries who can pose a burden for Hungary as the homeland once it becomes an EU member and has the joint market, i.e. all the opportunities that member countries have, open to it" Picula said. The
ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - Of all neighbouring countries, Croatia has
the best relations with Hungary so the Status Law, to which Croatia
has no major objections as it is in line with the Croatian
legislature, was a subject of open dialogue, Croatian Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula told Hina on Friday.
On January 1, Hungary enforced a law on Hungarians in neighbouring
countries, the status law, which gives ethnic Hungarians in
Croatia, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia and Ukraine
special rights including benefits in education, temporary work
permits and residence permits, as well as travels across Hungary.
"Hungarians passed the law not for the Hungarian minority in
Croatia but Hungarians in other neighbouring countries who can pose
a burden for Hungary as the homeland once it becomes an EU member and
has the joint market, i.e. all the opportunities that member
countries have, open to it" Picula said.
The Hungarian government has assessed that a large number of
Hungarians might return to Hungary in search of a better life, and
has to that end tried to prevent it by passing the Status Law which
makes it possible for Hungarians in neighbouring countries to
participate in Hungary's European success while remaining where
they currently live, the foreign minister said.
"In some countries this could elicit negative reactions since it
may collide with the national legislature, but this is not the case
in Croatia" so we have no objections to the law, Picula said.
(hina) lml sb