In Uzhhorod, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó met with leaders of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia and representatives of churches.
Andriy Yermak thanked the representatives of the Hungarian community for the meeting and joint efforts on the way to victory over the Russian aggressor.
"Our victory will be the achievement of the entire Ukrainian nation, of all the people who are bringing this long-awaited day closer," he said.
"It is very important that Hungary unconditionally supports our independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. There are questions, but they are not ones that cannot be resolved in relation to this terrible war. We have agreed that we will not give anyone, especially our enemies, a chance to even think that friendly neighbors, countries with such a rich history, have issues that can be used against us and against Hungary today," the Head of the Presidential Office added.
Andriy Yermak emphasized that the Ukrainian and Hungarian sides have begun work on preparing a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
"There is a deadline for the commission, established at the level of foreign ministers: ten days to work through all the issues that were raised today. And in ten days, we will have an understanding of what can be resolved and how quickly in order to move on to a new page in our relations," the Head of the Presidential Office said.
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 in Ukraine before, so he perceived this meeting as a very positive sign.
"I want to thank all of you for making the voice of the Hungarian national minority in Zakarpattia and Ukraine heard by everyone over the past nine years," Péter Szijjártó said, and he also thanked those who work in educational institutions.
He noted that Ukraine and Hungary are seeking to establish good neighborly relations.
"We have to admit that the Ukrainian leadership took an extremely important step in December 2023. It was difficult to achieve this, but we really appreciate it," the Minister emphasized.
In particular, Péter Szijjártó said that in cooperation with the Hungarian community, 11 points were formulated, including the use of the national minority language in all spheres of life, the restoration of the status of the national school and the possibility of taking matriculation exams in Hungarian. These issues were passed on to representatives of Ukraine and will be discussed at the Ukrainian-Hungarian intergovernmental level in ten days.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba called the processes currently taking place in our country a change in the state's philosophy towards national communities. As an example, he mentioned the adoption of the relevant law and the readiness to work with the Hungarian government on the remaining issues. Dmytro Kuleba also noted that the President submitted a draft law on multiple citizenship to the Verkhovna Rada. He expressed his belief that everyone living in Ukraine should defend, develop, respect and appreciate it together.
Judit Petei, a deputy of the Zakarpattia Regional Council from the Zakarpattia regional organization of the Party of Hungarians of Ukraine, said that the meeting with the Hungarian Foreign Minister in Zakarpattia was a historic event because the Hungarian community was heard.
She thanked Andriy Yermak, Dmytro Kuleba, and Head of the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration Viktor Mykyta for understanding the needs of the Hungarian minority in the region.
"I would like to thank you for the amendments to the law on national minorities, for funding, and for all the support programs in the education and healthcare sectors," said Judit Petei.
"You can rely on us because we are equal citizens of Ukraine, law-abiding, honest, and loyal. We are here and we will be here. You can count on us," she said.
Ildiko Oros, head of the Zakarpattia Hungarian Pedagogical Society and a member of the Zakarpattia Regional Council from the Zakarpattia regional organization of the Party of Hungarians of Ukraine, praised the changes in relations between Hungary and Ukraine. In particular, she noted that ethnic Hungarians are involved in overcoming the problems of the region. The MP expressed her belief that this approach will help to overcome the problems and stated that, although some of them remain, they are already being addressed. Ildiko Oros noted that she had prepared a number of proposals and submitted them to the members of the intergovernmental commission that will work on resolving the problematic issues, and expressed hope for success in this process.