Sybiha on Magyar’s statement about national minorities in Zakarpattia: I reject word "demands", dialogue continues
Ukraine and Hungary continue negotiations on the Hungarian national minority in Zakarpattia. Kyiv is committed to a dialogue based on the standards of the EU and the Council of Europe.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this during an online media briefing, answering a question from LIGA.net, Censor.NET reports.
Ukraine’s response
The day before, Hungary’s new Prime Minister Peter Magyar said that respect for the rights of Hungarians in Zakarpattia was a mandatory condition for Budapest’s consent to opening negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. He also claimed that more than 100,000 Hungarians in Ukraine were allegedly deprived of "basic human rights."
Commenting on these statements, Sybiha stressed that he considered the terminology of "demands" inappropriate.
"First, I generally do not like the word ‘concessions’. This is a diplomatic process of discussing issues that are important to both sides. Second, I do not want to compare, and I also reject the word ‘demands’, these are issues on the agenda," the foreign minister said.
Ukraine has its own proposals
Sybiha noted that the Ukrainian side had already presented Budapest with its vision. Ukraine is ready to implement the highest standards for protecting the rights of national minorities, in line with the criteria of the EU and the Council of Europe. Kyiv supports its position with reporting, including positive assessments from the OSCE.
"We proceed from the fact that this is also part of our society, and it is also in our interest to ensure maximum rights for national minorities. We speak frankly about all existing issues that the Hungarian side considers problematic. We provide the relevant explanations so that there is clarity in joint assessments," the Ukrainian minister explained.
- He added that representatives of the Hungarian minority from Zakarpattia themselves are involved in the negotiation process. This allows both sides to hear the views of community leaders directly.
"This process is ongoing, and I am confident that it will be built on the standards and criteria inherent in the EU. This is our strategic benchmark," Sybiha concluded.
