Hungary's PM sets condition for Ukraine to open first EU negotiating cluster

Tetyana Vysotska, Khrystyna Bondarieva , Alona Mazurenko - 20 May, 18:35

Péter Magyar. Photo: Magyar on Facebook

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has said Ukraine must ensure the Hungarian minority enjoys the same rights as minorities in other EU countries before Budapest agrees to the opening of the first cluster in the EU's pre-accession talks with Kyiv.

Source: Magyar at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a visit to Poland; European Pravda

Details: Magyar said he has raised the issue of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine with Tusk and pointed out that the formation of the Tisza government offers an opportunity to open a new stage in relations between Ukraine and Hungary.

"We sent a message to the Ukrainian side, and we also said that technical level consultations have begun regarding the language, cultural, and other rights of the Hungarian minority living in Transcarpathia, so that they receive what all minorities in the European Union are entitled to," he said.

Magyar said he hopes that this series of talks will proceed quickly and successfully.

Quote: "Of course, I also told the Prime Minister, what I also said in Brussels, that for us this is a condicio sine qua non [a fundamental, essential condition – ed.], this is a prerequisite for us to give our approval for the opening of the first chapter in Ukraine's EU accession, as this chapter is specifically about the rule of law and democracy.

I believe it would be a strong signal from the Ukrainian side as well that before this chapter is opened, they are able to resolve the situation of the Hungarian minority for their own citizens."

Background:

On 20 May, Hungary's Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, have begun expert-level consultations on the rights of national minorities.
Anita Orbán expects the Hungarian-Ukrainian expert consultations on the rights of the Hungarian minority to become the start of a "new process".

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