The proposal provides for such clearing of mutual receivables so that neither party should indemnify the damage for unrealised investments or other losses. Hungary has no intention to construct any lower degree.
The Hungarian Government wishes to renew the negotiations, interrupted for more than a year, on further procedure in the matter of the Gabcikovo – Nagymaros Water Works in the beginning of spring. However, it shall insist that the negotiations will not be led by governmental representatives as in the past, but by professionals from corresponding fields. This follows from the draft governmental resolution on the Danube, which is currently being discussed by several departments.
The main purpose of the proposal for the Slovak party is not to delegate for the negotiations any governmental representatives as in the past, but professionals from the corresponding fields under coordination by the Ministry of Environment. The essential thing is that in the renewed negotiations on the water works system, both parties will be on the same professional level.
From April this year, the water management shall pass from the Ministry of Land Management to the Ministry of Environment. The relevant competence law has already been approved by the Slovak Parliament.
The authorised representative of the Slovak Government for the water works system, Dominik Kocinger stated that he would insist on the agreed procedure in the negotiations and that he would negotiate only with an authorised representative of the Hungarian Government, duly appointed by the Government. However, his Budapest partner was recalled by the Hungarian Prime Minister after the last year´s general elections, and no new representative has been appointed so far, and it is expected to finally cancel the authorised representative´s office.
The Slovak Government discussed the problems with enforcement of the Hague Judgement in the end of the last year. In the submitted information it was stated that the inter-governmental negotiations had been on dead point since April 2002 due to the fault on the Hungarian side.
The Hungarian side has built, only as a temporary solution, only one overflow dam at Dunakiliti, and refuses to even discuss any other steps according to the international agreement of 1977, validity of which has been confirmed by the Hague Court.
From the Hague Judgement dated September 25, 1997:
Hungary and Slovakia must negotiate bona fide and in the light of the prevailing situation and must adopt all measures in order to achieve the objectives of the 1977 agreement in such form, as they may agree. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the operational regime must be achieved in accordance with the 1977 agreement. Unless the parties agree otherwise, Hungary should indemnify Slovakia against the damage incurred by Czechoslovakia and Slovakia due to interruption and suspension of works, which fell within the responsibility of Hungary. Slovakia should indemnify Hungary against damage resulting from commissioning the substitute solution by Czechoslovakia and operation thereof by Slovakia.
V. Jancura - In: Pravda, March 7, 2003, p. 4
