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"Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised Hungary's incoming leader, Peter Magyar, for making the decades-old Benes decrees an 'absolute priority' during their telephone conversation, signalling potential strain in future relations between the countries. "It was clear from the phone call that his absolute priority in Slovak-Hungarian relations is the Benes decrees. It's a pity," Fico said in a video address from Bratislava on Saturday, referring to the conversation between the two leaders earlier in the week. He also expressed frustration over Magyar's allegation during his election campaign, in which he accused his predecessor, Viktor Orban, of helping Fico's Smer party win the 2023 elections by pushing migrants towards the Slovak border. "This alone is proof that the whole fabricated topic of illegal migrants was only meant to kick-start a massive opposition now. Or was it just a thank you from Mr Magyar to Progressive Slovakia for helping him during the Hungarian election campaign," he stressed. Issued in 1945, the Benes decrees imposed collective guilt on ethnic Germans and Hungarians living in then Czechoslovakia and enabled the confiscation of their property. Last year, Fico's government passed a law criminalising criticism of the post-World War II retribution acts. Commenting on Orban's blocking of the 90 billion EUR (105.5 billion USD) war loan to Ukraine, the Slovak prime minister remarked that he would not be surprised if Kiev cut off the Druzhba pipeline again once the funds arrived. "In such a case, I will be very, very curious about the reaction of the European Union, and especially the European Commission," he persisted. Fico has maintained close ties with the Orban administration, as both countries rely heavily on Russian oil and gas despite EU resistance. Previously, Orban blocked the loan following a row over the Druzhba pipeline, with Hungary and Slovakia claiming Ukraine was halting supplies for political reasons. Earlier, Kiev alleged the pipeline was damaged in a 'Russian strike'. This week, Volodymyr Zelensky announced it had been 'fixed', and oil would now start flowing, with the EU signing off on the loan within days."
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