Ukraine's European integration minister: Hungary should follow rules on opening of negotiating clusters

Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, has stated that Ukraine has good progress in cooperation with Hungary on national minority rights, but does not want to link this issue with the opening of negotiating clusters during EU accession, as this process should be based on the candidate country's achievements.

Source: European Pravda's correspondent in Brussels, citing Chentsov on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU affairs ministers in Ireland on 4 September

Quote: "Dispute is too strong a word, I think. We are working with all the partners, including Hungary. Definitely, Hungary raises the issue of the protection of the rights of national minorities. We are very serious about that, so we are making good progress."

Details: Chentsov added that Ukraine looks after the educational and cultural rights of national minorities despite all challenges.

He said he believes this issue should not be used to block the opening of clusters and says Ukraine speaks openly about its position. He adds that both the EU and Hungary have an interest in following the rules and the merit-based principle.

The official added that "we are working on the draft legislation which will be presented soon to the Parliament".

"So we have made good progress. But we do not link this issue to the opening of clusters… Right now we are talking about clusters 2 and 3, and we do not see any problems in opening them," Chentsov stressed.

He notes that the formal opening of the cluster is needed to send a political signal to Ukrainian society and the government and to stimulate reforms.

Background:

• On 1 September, Hungary again refused to approve the screening results for clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine, demanding that Ukraine take certain legislative steps regarding the Hungarian national minority.
• Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar publicly linked Hungary's position on the opening of clusters for Ukraine to the issue of Hungarian minority rights in Ukraine on 3 September.
• On 14 July in Brussels, the sixth negotiating cluster, "External Relations", was opened for Ukraine.

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