The Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary, Fedir Shandor, commented on the prospects for improving Ukrainian-Hungarian relations following a potential change of government in Budapest. In an interview, he emphasized that there are strong neighborly ties between the countries that should be preserved and developed despite all difficulties.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Opening Negotiations for Ukraine’s EU Membership
The diplomat highlighted that one of the main issues for future relations is the opening of a negotiation cluster regarding Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. According to Shandor, this issue holds high priority for both Kyiv and Budapest. He also noted the comments of the likely new Prime Minister of Hungary, Peter Madjar, regarding Ukraine’s Euro-integration, advising adherence to diplomatic protocols and patience. The ambassador stated that he has maintained optimism on this matter for quite some time.
“There are always chances. I am talking about the relationship between Hungary and the Hungarian people with the Ukrainian people and Ukraine. And they will exist. Everyone forgets one thing. We are not just two countries, we are not just two peoples – we are neighboring countries,” said the diplomat.
Financial Assistance and Hungary’s New Political Course
Commenting on the possibility of unblocking the European Union’s loan to Ukraine amounting to 90 billion euros, Fedir Shandor emphasized that there are no final deadlines known yet, but he expressed confidence that this could happen within this year. He added that diplomatic processes have their peculiarities, and not all protocols are public.
After winning the parliamentary elections, Peter Madjar indicated in his programmatic speech that he plans to lift the veto imposed by Viktor Orban on the allocation of the EU loan to Kyiv. At the same time, Madjar stressed that Hungary will not bear financial responsibility for this loan and is against the expedited accession of Ukraine to the EU. He also emphasized that the normalization of relations with Kyiv is only possible if the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine are respected.