Ukraine and Hungary have agreed to a new round of talks
Ukraine and Hungary’s new government have agreed to begin expert consultations on the rights of the Hungarian national minority. The first meeting of the delegations is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, and will take place online with the participation of representatives from the Transcarpathian community.
This was announced following a telephone conversation between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga and Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán.
The Ukrainian side emphasized its full readiness for constructive dialogue with the new Hungarian government, which was formed following the recent change of power in Budapest.
“We are ready to cooperate with the new Hungarian government on all issues on our bilateral agenda, including the topic of national minorities, with the aim of restoring trust and good-neighborly relations between our countries,” Andriy Sibiga stated.
To promptly resolve contentious issues, the parties have already fully formed and appointed their official negotiating delegations. According to Anita Orban, the dialogue will begin without delay.
A key feature of the new negotiation process will be the participation of representatives of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia Oblast. Experts must find “practical and reliable solutions” that satisfy both sides.
“Discussions will begin as early as tomorrow, which could lay an important foundation for the prompt and satisfactory resolution of issues regarding minority rights. I hope that the dialogue will be constructive and that the negotiations will soon bring tangible progress for the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia,” noted Anita Orban.
In addition to minority rights, the foreign ministers discussed a broader range of regional and international issues. Andriy Sybiga separately raised the topic of Ukraine’s integration into the European Union. He confirmed Kyiv’s readiness to open the first negotiation clusters as soon as possible and expressed hope for consistent support from the new government in Budapest.
Earlier, the Hungarian government commented on the massive attack by Russian drones on Zakarpattia, during which the region’s critical infrastructure was struck. Budapest described the situation in the border region as extremely alarming and announced that it was preparing urgent countermeasures.
Transcarpathiahas suffered the most massive attack by Russia since the start of the war — Regional Military Administration.
