Hungary's future PM proposes summer meeting with Zelenskyy in Zakarpattia
Hungary's incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar has hosted the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Berehove in Zakarpattia, where they discussed the situation of the Hungarian minority. Magyar has also proposed holding his first meeting with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zalanskyy in Berehove.
Source: European Pravda; Magyar on Facebook
Details: Magyar said he has hosted Zoltán Babják, Mayor of the Ukrainian city of Berehove, at his office and that they have discussed the situation of Hungarians in Zakarpattia.
Quote: "We agree that it is in the interests of Hungarians living in Zakarpattia to reset relations between Hungary and Ukraine. On this basis, I am proposing a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early June, symbolically in Berehove.
It is time for Ukraine to end more than a decade of legislative restrictions and for the Hungarians of Zakarpattia to have all their cultural, linguistic, administrative and educational rights restored and once again become equal and respected citizens of Ukraine… If these issues can be resolved, we will certainly be able to open a new chapter in Ukrainian-Hungarian bilateral relations."
More details: Magyar said he considers the compromises proposed by Ukraine on education issues in 2025 to be "promising, but insufficient".
He believes it is unfair that exams and other official procedures in Ukraine are conducted only in the state language, Ukrainian. He said Hungarian communities in areas where they live in significant numbers should be allowed to use their native language.
Background:
- Péter Magyar said immediately after the opposition Tisza party's election victory that the issue of national minorities will need to be settled in order to establish good-neighbourly relations with Ukraine.
- In 2024, Hungary put forward a list of 11 demands to Ukraine regarding minorities in exchange for its agreement to support the start of negotiations on the countryʼs accession to the EU.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!