Mr. Speaker, on March 20 of this year the Republic of Hungary and the Slovak Republic signed an historic treaty in Paris. One highlight of the treaty is an agreement between Hungary and Slovakia to refrain from the threat or use of force against one another's territorial integrity and political independence.
Another highlight of the treaty is the confirmation that the protection of national minorities and the rights and freedoms of individuals belonging to a national minority are a matter of international human rights. In this sense the problems of minorities are not exclusively an internal affair of states but rather a matter of legitimate interest for the international community.
This treaty sets an example for all the world. From African nations to the former Yugoslavia the world is witnessing a dangerous rise of ethnic conflicts. This treaty provides an example of what nations can achieve with negotiations, not guns; with discussion, not destruction.