EU Presidency - British ambassador satisfied with Hungary s organisation

Dorey said Hungary had carried out extensive preparations for the presidency in 2010 and the start of this year, and no serious problems had emerged.

    He said it was expected that Hungary should ensure that agreements are as broad-based as possible and Budapest should handle economic topics effectively.

    "This is the Hungarian presidency s most important job," said Dorey, adding that some topics were likely to be knocked off Hungary s six-month agenda due to the need to resolve economic issues.

    The ambassador said that Great Britain shared Hungary s desire to advance the endeavours of aspiring members of the bloc, and progress could be made in this area.

    Dorey said Hungary s media law had "obviously" overshadowed its presidency. The outcry, he said, demonstrated that press freedom is seen in the EU as a basic fixture of a free society. He welcomed Hungary s willingness to enter in dialogue with various bodies -- the European Commission and the OSCE among them -- about whether the law was really in line with international norms.