Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Madyar shared details of expert-level negotiations between Ukraine and Hungary regarding the protection of the rights of national minorities residing in Ukraine. According to Madyar, these discussions have a positive dynamic, and the list of 11 points proposed by Hungary is not new to the Ukrainian side and primarily concerns educational, cultural, and linguistic rights.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Hungary’s demands and conditions for a meeting with Zelensky
Madyar emphasized that the list of demands to Ukraine is not exceptional in European or global practice, considering the size of the Hungarian minority in certain regions of Ukraine. He underscored the importance of reaching an agreement on all points for the further development of bilateral relations.
“I would be happy to meet with the Ukrainian president after these issues are resolved and a political agreement is reached – somewhere in Ukraine, preferably in Transcarpathia, where the Hungarian minority lives, in a settlement with a Hungarian population. And we are indeed ready to open a new chapter.”
The Hungarian Prime Minister had previously stated his intention to hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, specifically suggesting organizing talks in Transcarpathia in early June. For his part, the Ukrainian president also expressed readiness for such a meeting.
European Commission’s position on Ukraine and Hungary negotiations
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the European Commission’s intention to unblock over 16 billion euros for Hungary from EU funds, which were frozen during Viktor Orban’s administration, is in no way linked to Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. She confirmed that the accession of candidate countries was part of the negotiations with Madyar in Brussels on May 29.
Von der Leyen stressed that the process of considering Ukraine and Moldova’s EU membership is based on the principle of merit, and both countries have met all the requirements to open the first, fundamental cluster of negotiations. She noted that “there are no reasons” to delay the start of negotiations with candidate countries, and this issue will be discussed at the EU summit in Brussels on June 18-19.
After the elections, Madyar received congratulations from leaders of many EU countries and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In Brussels and Kyiv, there are expectations that Madyar, who positions himself as a pro-European politician, will change the policy of his predecessor Orban, and Hungary will stop blocking European initiatives in support of Ukraine.