Budapest reveals details of agreements with Kyiv on protecting rights of Hungarian minority that will unblock Ukraine’s accession to EU
Hungary has published its conditions regarding the protection of the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, which, according to Budapest’s position, affect the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
As Censor.NET reports, this was stated by Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban during hearings of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs.
Hungary’s conditions on minority rights
The Hungarian side has put forward a number of demands that Ukraine must fulfill for negotiations on accession to the EU to begin.
The main demands are:
- Ukraine will restore the system of schools for ethnic minorities, guaranteeing the free use of the Hungarian language and the use of national symbols, including the Hungarian anthem and flag.
- In municipalities where more than 10% of the population are Hungarians, the Hungarian language may be freely used in the health care system, at events, at scientific conferences, and in political campaigns.
- Negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU will begin after these conditions are met.
- The accession process will not be accelerated but will follow the standard schedule.
- Hungary will hold a referendum on Ukraine’s EU membership.
Earlier, a planned meeting between representatives of Ukraine and Hungary did not take place this week.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that work on organizing a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungary’s new prime minister, Peter Magyar, is ongoing, and there are grounds to expect it to take place in the near future.
