Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the restoration of good neighborly relations with Hungary a common interest. He said that the situation of indigenous national minorities was the primary focus in Monday's talks, adding that an operational working group will be set up, which will have ten days to find remedies for the definitive resolution of minority issues, the local Karpati Igaz Szo reported.
Head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said that the Orban-Zelensky meeting was also discussed during the talks, and the positions of the two parties were converging, he added.
"The Hungarian government and Hungary's position is consistent: we stand by the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
We condemn the war and want peace s soon as possible. This morning I visited the cemetery in Uzhhorod, where I paid my respects to the victims. We must redouble our efforts, because saving lives is only possible through peace,
he added.
He recalled that Hungary has received more than a million refugees from Ukraine. More than five thousand Ukrainian children are attending Hungarian schools. And Hungary has helped half a million families within Ukraine with various forms of humanitarian aid, the Karpati Igaz Szo wrote.
Szijjarto noted that since 2015, successive legislation has been passed to curtail the rights of the indigenous Hungarian minority. Last year, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a framework law on minorities, which halted this trend, he added.
But we have one expectation: that the Hungarian minority is reinstated the rights they had prior to 2015 - that's not asking for too much. We have summarized them in eleven points. These include the official status of schools, the opportunity to take school-leaving exams in Hungarian, and the use of the Hungarian language in culture and in higher education,
FMSzijjarto stated, adding that
We have summarized the Hungarian demands in eleven points, including the restoration of the status of national minority schools, the re-establishment of access to official school-leaving exams in Hungarian and the unrestricted use of the Hungarian language in higher education, culture, public administration and community life.
He also announced that a bilateral inter-governmental committee has been tasked with hammering out concrete proposals in text form as soon as possible and to present them to the two foreign ministries.
We came here with the aim of rebuilding a climate of trust in our bilateral relations. I think we can agree that we have taken encouraging steps in that direction. We still have a long way to go with a lot of work to be done, but we on the Hungarian side are ready to do it,
FM Szijjarto said after the meeting, highlighting the productive discussions conducted on the development of cross-border infrastructure. He pointed out that Hungary has invested 120 million euros to create the major logistics center on the border with Ukraine, and that another border crossing between Nagyhodos and Velyka Palad (Nagypalad) is about to be opened.
They also agreed to expand road and rail crossing facilities at Beregsurany and Zahony, and on the joint objective of building a new bridge across the Tisza River, he said.
He also said that he had asked his Ukrainian counterpart to maintain the reliable oil transport route and to ensure fair operating conditions for Hungarian companies. Finally, FM Szijjarto thanked the governor of Transcarpathia, Viktor Mikita, for ensuring the peaceful coexistence of the Hungarian and Ukrainian populations there. Without him, he said, the attempts to create artificial tensions could not have been effectively managed.
Misinterpreting and distorting Hungary's position (...) is a favorite sport of certain sections of the international media. And this activity can also create tensions in everyday life, not just in politics,
he noted. He recalled that, a few days after the outbreak of the war, he assured Governor Mikita that any requests he made for assistance would immediately be considered by the government and be met to the maximum possible extent.
Cover photo: Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmyitr Kuleba (source: Facebook/Péter Szijjártó)
