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Hungary and Ukraine have launched on Wednesday their first expert-level talks on minority rights since the new government took office in Budapest, signalling a tentative step towards improving bilateral relations.
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Hungary’s foreign affairs minister Anita Orban called the consultations – which also included representatives of the Hungarian minorities in Ukraine – “important steps toward rebuilding our bilateral relations and strengthening future cooperation.”
Budapest and Kyiv have long been at odds over the 100 000 ethnic Hungarians who live in Ukraine’s western region of Transcarpathia. This issue continues to resonate widely in Hungarian society, even after Magyar’s decisive victory ended Orbán’s 16-year rule.
“The Hungarian community in Transcarpathia is not only an important part of the relationship between our two countries, but also a bridge between our nations. Genuine progress requires open, honest, and professional dialogue built on clear legal guarantees. I believe that today’s consultations can mark the beginning of a new process.”
For Kyiv the stakes are extremely high as the discussions mark a potentially significant step towards resolving one of the most politically sensitive barriers in Ukraine’s EU membership bid.
Who is participating in the talks?
Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesdaythat there are three “key issues on the agenda: bilateral relations, minority rights and Ukraine’s EU accession.”
“Ukraine wants to open a new, mutually beneficial chapter in our bilateral relations based on trust. We are in a momentum to achieve this.”
The minister also shared a photo of the screen with all the participants present at the Wednesday meeting, including a member of the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration which represents the Transcarpathia region.
Representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science and the Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education also took part in the consultation.
Their participation in the first round of expert talks suggested potential amendments to Ukraine’s legislation.
“Ukraine takes national minority rights seriously and remains committed to ensuring them in accordance with European standards. We understand that this issue has a fundamental importance,” Ukraine’s’ foreign minister said.
Ukraine’s law on national minorities
Hungary’s former Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, who was voted out of office in a landslide election in April, defended many of his government’s anti-Ukraine policies by citing alleged restrictions on language and education rights for the ethnic Hungarians who live in the Zakarpattia region.
In 2017, Ukraine passed a law that requires at least 70% of education above fifth grade to be conducted in Ukrainian, as part of efforts to counter Russian influence.
Budapest called this measure discriminatory toward the Hungarian minority while Kyiv responded that it only intended to ensure that every Ukrainian citizen has sufficient knowledge of the official language.
In 2023, the Ukrainian parliament approved changes to the law on national minorities, which was one of seven steps recommended by the European Commission for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
The new bill allows the use of EU languages and those of national minorities in political advertising, private schools, and universities, student organizations representing national minorities, and the media.
At the same time, the study of Ukrainian as the state language remains mandatory in all educational institutions, although instruction may be delivered in EU languages.
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