Slovak parliamentary foreign affairs committee agreed on Wednesday with a proposed change in the agreement on the customs union between Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The aim is to preserve the customs union until both the countries at the same time join the European Union. Before the president ratifies the agreement, it must be discussed by parliament.

Preparing a change in the customs union agreement is the responsibility of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Economy Ministry, while in the Czech Republic it falls under the same ministries. The original agreement on the customs union was signed on October 29, 1992, in Prague.

The committee also dealt with cabinet’s draft revision to the law on the establishment of the Slovak National Center for Human Rights. The center fulfills tasks in the area of fundamental human rights and freedoms. The Justice Ministry has prepared the amendment on the basis of demands to make the center’s operations more transparent, to outline the legal framework for establishment of its bodies and competencies. Currently the performance of the center is financed from the state budget.