Hungary expects Ukraine to respect Hungarian community’s rights

Hungary has a vested interest in a strong, stable and democratic Ukraine, takes a stand for its territorial integrity and independence, and expects it to respect the rights of nationalities, including the Hungarian community, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, said after an informal videoconference of EU ministers on Monday.

Over the past few years Ukraine has regularly violated the Hungarian community’s rights in culture, education, public administration and the media, he said on Facebook.

Hungary “was shocked to learn” that leaders of that community had been exposed to intimidating procedures last week. Nor does it serve mutual trust that the Ukrainian authorities have launched an action to identify dual citizens, he said.

Szijjártó asked Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who also logged into the conference, to respect minority rights and abstain from presenting the Hungarian community as one endangering Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Hungarians in Transcarpathia (Kárpátalja) can always rely on support from Hungary and its government, he said.

“We will take a stand in all international forums for Transcarpathia’s Hungarian community and its rights,” he said.

Hungary has expressed solidarity with Poland over the arrest of the Polish community’s leader in Belarus and with the Czech Republic over its diplomatic conflict with Russia.

• Retaliation: 20 Czech diplomats expelled by Moscow

Szijjártó said the EU’s new partnership agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, replacing the Cotonou Agreement last week, would encourage migration. Hungary therefore opposed the related clauses, citing the health and economic risks posed by migration, he said.

Concerning Ethiopia, the minister noted that Hungary had granted aid worth 2.5 million US dollars to that country’s Christian community. He expressed hope that Ethiopia would preserve its peace and stability, and would not become a source of migration.

Concerning Lebanon, Szijjártó said that

Hungary rejected all attempts by some European countries to exert pressure on the party that represents the Christian community of that country.

Hungary insists that Europe, the European Union should take a stand for Christians, irrespective of where they live, Szijjártó said.