Slovakia has summoned Hungary's ambassador over statements made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, the Slovak news agency TASR reported, stating that the Slovak foreign ministry requested Csaba Balogh to
convey to the Hungarian minister Slovakia's concerns over his interference in the election campaign.
Peter Szijjarto drew Slovakia's ire by attending events in southern Slovakia on September 26 and 27 alongside politicians from the Alliance party for the ethnic Hungarian minority, and calling attention to the importance of supporting the "united Hungarian party".
The foreign ministry considers such actions to fall outside the norms of diplomatic communication,
said the statement issued by the foreign ministry, as reported by the Slovakian Hungarian-language daily Uj Szo. The foreign ministry added that Slovakia is interested in maintaining good neighborly relations with Hungary, and would like to continue to build on what connects the two countries, and looks to the future, the daily wrote.
Peter Szijjarto told the daily Uj Szo in an earlier interview that he finds nothing objectionable in attending public events with candidates from the Alliance party a few days before the Slovak elections.
"We are rooting for the Alliance, not because we are interested in the outcome in Slovakia's domestic politics, but because we strive for good relations with Slovakia. In good Slovak-Hungarian relations, we have always regarded ethnic Hungarians living in Slovakia as a resource and a connecting link," Hungary's foreign minister said.
