In Uzhhorod, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto, held a meeting with leaders of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia and representatives of the churches.
Andriy Yermak thanked the representatives of the Hungarian community for the meeting and the joint efforts on the path to victory over the Russian aggressor.
"Our victory will be the achievement of the entire Ukrainian nation, of all people approaching this anticipated day," he said.
"It is very important that Hungary unequivocally supports our independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. There are issues, but concerning this terrible war, they are not insoluble. We agreed that we will not give anyone, especially our enemies, a chance to even think that in friendly neighbors, countries with such a significant history, there are issues that can be used against us and against Hungary," added the Head of the President's Office.
Andriy Yermak emphasized that Ukrainian and Hungarian sides have started working on preparing a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.
"There are deadlines for the commission that exists at the level of foreign ministers: ten days to work out all the issues raised today. And in ten days, we will have an understanding of what and how quickly can be resolved to move on to opening a new chapter in our relations," said the Head of the President's Office.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary noted that he had never had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Hungarian community living on the territory of Ukraine before, so he perceives this meeting as a very positive sign.
During the meeting in Uzhhorod, Peter Szijjarto, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, expressed his gratitude to the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia for making their voice heard over the past nine years.
"I want to thank all of you that the voice of the Hungarian national minority in Transcarpathia and in Ukraine has been heard over the past nine years," said Peter Szijjarto, specifically expressing thanks to those working in educational institutions.
He noted that Ukraine and Hungary are striving to establish good neighborly relations.
"We must recognize that the leadership of Ukraine took an extremely important step in December 2023. It was difficult to achieve this, but we highly appreciate it," emphasized the minister.
In cooperation with the Hungarian community, 11 points were formulated, including the use of the minority language in all areas of life, the restoration of the status of the national school, and the possibility of taking exams for a diploma in Hungarian. These issues were handed over to Ukrainian representatives and will be discussed at the Ukrainian-Hungarian intergovernmental level in ten days.
Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, referred to the ongoing processes in the country as a change in the philosophy of the state regarding national communities. As an example, he mentioned the adoption of the relevant law and the readiness to work with the Hungarian government on remaining issues. Kuleba also highlighted the submission of a bill on dual citizenship by the President to the Verkhovna Rada. He expressed confidence that everyone living in Ukraine should jointly defend, develop, respect, and value the country.
Judita Petey, a deputy of the Zakarpattia Regional Council from the Zakarpattia Regional Organization of the "KMKS" Party of Hungarians of Ukraine, noted that the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary in Transcarpathia is a historic event because the Hungarian community feels heard.
During the meeting in Uzhhorod, Judita Petey, a deputy of the Zakarpattia Regional Council from the Zakarpattia Regional Organization of the "KMKS" Party of Hungarians of Ukraine, expressed her gratitude to Andriy Yermak, Dmytro Kuleba, and the head of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Viktor Mykiti for understanding the needs of the Hungarian national minority in the region.
"I want to thank you for changes to the law on national minorities, for funding, all support programs in education, and in medicine," said Judita Petey.
"You can rely on us because we are equal citizens of Ukraine, law-abiding, honest, devoted. We are here and will be. And you can count on us," she emphasized.
Ildiko Oros, the head of the Zakarpattia Hungarian-language Pedagogical Society and a deputy of the Zakarpattia Regional Council from the Zakarpattia Regional Organization of the "KMKS" Party of Hungarians of Ukraine, positively assessed the changes in relations between Hungary and Ukraine. She noted that ethnic Hungarians are involved in overcoming the problems of the region. Ildiko Oros expressed confidence that such an approach would contribute to addressing the issues and acknowledged that although some problems persist, progress is already underway. She mentioned that she prepared a series of proposals, which she handed over to the members of the intergovernmental commission working on solving problematic issues, and expressed hope for success in this process.
