U.S. asks Hungary to accept Guantanamo prisoners

BUDAPEST, June 18 -- The United States has officially asked Hungary to accept prisoners from the U.S.-controlled Guantanamo prison, the Hungarian foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The U.S. president's Guantanamo envoy Daniel Fried submitted the request to the Hungarian government during his talks with officials of the country's foreign ministry in Budapest.

"Daniel Fried informed us that the U.S. administration has officially asked the Hungarian government to look into the possibility of accepting inmates, and provided related information,¡± Zsuzsanna Matrai, spokeswoman for the foreign ministry said in a statement.

During the talks with Fried, State Secretary Laszlo Varkonyi said that the Hungarian government was prepared to thoroughly consider any request. Parliamentary consultations would be necessary before making a final decision, he added.

Local reports said that Fried also held talks with representatives of the Hungarian parliamentary parties.