The 19th of March is the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Good-neighbourly Relations and Friendly Co-operation between Hungary and the Slovak Republic.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade considers the Basic Treaty signed on 19 March 1995 in Paris as an important international legal document, as it has served as a basis for building bilateral relations in several areas of mutual interest between our countries for two decades now.

The Basic Treaty has established the frameworks and the foundations of cooperation in every field of bilateral relations, stipulating, among others, the commitment to the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities living in the two countries, and establishing the frameworks of bilateral economic cooperation.

Thanks to the establishment of the system of joint committees, the Treaty has also become a means to reinforce mutual trust between the Slovak Republic and Hungary. We deem this form of cooperation useful as it enables us to find solutions to practical issues of bilateral relations. The system of joint committees is flexible enough to manage all arising issues. Notwithstanding the time elapsed, the Treaty is still considered as a tool that serves the deepening of the relations between our countries. Both countries have become European Union and NATO member states since the signing. This fundamental change also had a profound influence on our cooperation.

The conclusion of the Treaty indicated the need for this cooperation, which is underpinned by the fact that twenty years after the signing, it still meets the requirements of our current times. The Treaty is an important part of the framework of good-neighbourly relations and of the region’s security, which are priority issues for Hungary.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)