Blanar Rejects Magyar's Remarks on Hungary's Borders as Denial of History

Bratislava, 4 June (TASR) - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) rejects remarks by Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar that Hungary "borders itself", describing the statement as absurd and a denial of history, the ministry's press department told TASR on Thursday. "I reject such a view of 'history'. No, Mr. Prime Minister of Hungary. Your borders, and therefore ours as well, were clearly determined by the peace negotiations in Trianon after the First World War and reaffirmed after the Second World War, in which Hungary, incidentally, stood on the side of the defeated powers," Blanar said. The Slovak foreign minister also stressed that he rejects any questioning of Slovakia's borders, territorial integrity or sovereignty. He added that if friendly and constructive relations between Slovakia and Hungary are to continue, they must be free of "false tones of irredentism and the distortion of history". Speaking on Thursday during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the signing of the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, Magyar said that Hungary is "the only country in the world that borders itself". According to him, this is why good relations with neighbouring countries are essential. He added that this had not always been the case in recent years and that dialogue had even been interrupted with Hungary's most important allies in the Visegrad Group. mf