The development of transport links between Ukraine and Hungary is beneficial for both countries. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Viktor Mykyta in a comment to Ukrinform.
“To meet all the needs of carriers at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border, a new large cargo crossing point needs to be built—four lanes in one direction and four lanes in the other. Negotiations on this are currently ongoing with our Hungarian colleagues,” he said.
Mykyta noted that the development of economic relations is important for both countries. According to him, the main task now is to bring the countries closer together and “not give the enemy, Russia, the opportunity to divide us.”
“For Hungary itself, it is important to be a transit country for goods coming from Ukraine. In particular, the M3 motorway needs to be loaded with the appropriate vehicles that will pay taxes. This is economically beneficial for Hungary. If we bind our economic relations with Hungary, it will be advantageous for them to support Ukraine in order to economically develop themselves,” he said.
The Deputy Head of the Office of the President informed that large enterprises are currently being built in Transcarpathia, which will provide a significant share of exports of finished products. According to him, according to the Strategy for the Development of Industrial Parks in the region, this share of exports is to be directed to EU countries through crossing points with Hungary. This applies to both cargo routes and railways.
“We need to ensure fast processing and passage of goods so that enterprises can fulfill contracts. All of this contributes significantly to budget revenues, so expanding border infrastructure is a matter of strengthening the economy as a whole. Work in this direction was intensified in 2023 after the meeting between the Head of the Office of the President Andrii Yermak and the head of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó in Uzhhorod and is gradually being implemented,” he noted.
Mykyta also emphasized that the work of export-oriented enterprises in border regions will contribute to the emergence of thousands of jobs and the development of communities, which “is an undeniable priority at the local level.”
“Without reliable and efficient operation of crossing points, achieving this is difficult,” he added.
According to the official, Hungary is also interested in the development of communities where ethnic Hungarians live.
“So we have common interests in many more areas than just logistics. All of this should function effectively and strengthen and develop the economic potential of our countries,” he noted.
The Deputy Head of the Office of the President also highlighted the necessity of expanding the “Chop (Tysa) - Zakhon” crossing point.
“Considering that the large M3 motorway, which runs from Budapest towards Ukraine, stops about 20 km from the border with Ukraine, it is necessary to determine where it will enter Ukraine. There was a question regarding the Berehovo district in Transcarpathia, but now another location is being determined. I think that in the future, there will be a more detailed development of the crossing point plan near the Tysa customs post,” he explained.
There are 5 automobile crossing points operating at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border: Chop (Tysa), Dzyvinkove, Kosyno, Luzhanka, and Vylok.
