“Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has spoken to Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleșcanu by telephone and strongly requested that the Romanian party not provide space for provocation with relation to the events being held in Úzvölgy (Valea Uzului) on Thursday, and does everything possible to avoid physical atrocities”, the Ministry’s State Secretary for Communication and the International Representation of Hungary Tamás Menczer said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Thursday.

“The Romanian Foreign Minister gave a promise with relation to all this”, he wrote in the statement.

“Hungary’s standpoint remains unchanged: Romania is an extremely important country to us in view of the Transylvanian Hungarians, in addition to which it is an important economic and trade partner, and we have an interest in balanced and expanding bilateral relations”, the statement reads, highlighting: “However, we are once again speaking out with relation to the conversion of the military cemetery in Valea Uzului, which also goes against Romanian regulations”.

As the State Secretary explained: “Naturally, everyone has the right to remember their own heroes and dead, but this cannot occur unlawfully and in a manner that violates the rights of others to pay their respects”.

“In recent months, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the officially responsible Hungarian Directorate for Military Commemoration and the Maintenance of Military Graves has initiate negotiations on several occasions concerning the situation that has developed in Valea Uzului, the worthy placement of soldiers who died in the war and the suitable conditions for remembrance”, Mr. Menczer wrote, adding: “Unfortunately, the Romanian National Office for the Cult of Heroes has not provided a tangible response to these enquiries”

(MTI)