Hungary says relations with Slovakia remain difficult

The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Laszlo Kovacs, says relations with neighbouring Slovakia remain difficult, despite a friendship treaty, signed nearly three years ago.

Addressing journalists in Budapest, the Minister said considerable progress had been made towards both NATO and EU membership, but he conceded that some of the basic provisions of the treaty with Slovakia had not been implemented.

He referred in particular to the large six hundred and fifty thousand strong Hungarian minority in Southern Slovakia, who are demanding tobe educated in their own language.

The Slovak government argues that theHungarian minority enjoy as good or better rights than elsewhere in Europe.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service