Hungary: Ukraine's path to EU will stop if Kyiv fails to fulfil minority agreement

EU negotiations with Ukraine will stop if Kyiv fails to fulfil the agreement on restoring the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Zakarpattia Oblast, Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán has said.

Source: European Pravda, citing Telex, a Hungarian news portal

Details: Foreign Minister Orbán, who arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on 15 June, said: "If the Ukrainian state fails to fulfil this agreement, then the accession process within the first group [the first cluster – ed.] of chapters will automatically stop".

She recalled that, following several weeks of intensive negotiations, Hungary and Ukraine had concluded a bilateral agreement enshrining the rights of the Hungarian minority. According to Orbán, this agreement had been incorporated into Ukraine's EU accession process.

The first cluster, Fundamentals, is to be opened in Luxembourg on 15 June, as part of the negotiation process between Ukraine and the EU. Orbán noted that, within the first cluster, Kyiv must fulfil the Ukrainian-Hungarian agreement.

The Hungarian minister stressed that, based on the existing accession methodology, her country would support a process based on results and reforms.

Background:

• Head of the Hungarian government Peter Magyar previously stated that Ukraine would not be able to move forward in the EU accession process if it failed to fulfil its obligations regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority within the established deadlines.
• On 12 June, the European Union officially confirmed the launch of accession negotiations with Ukraine.
• Prior to that, Ukraine fulfilled the final requirement set by Hungary for the opening of the first accession talks cluster.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!