English
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to place political and economic relations between the two countries on a new footing. The agreement was reached during their first official bilateral meeting, held today in Brussels on the sidelines of a European Council summit.
The meeting follows years of strained relations, characterized by a significant dispute regarding the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine, as well as opposition from the previous Hungarian government—led by Viktor Orbán—to Kyiv’s progress toward European Union membership. Following the talks, Magyar stated that Hungary is prepared to assist, using all available diplomatic means, in efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a lasting peace. The Hungarian Prime Minister also expressed solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
One of the key prerequisites for improving relations concerned the education of national minorities in Ukraine. On October 12, the Ukrainian parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Education, which expand guarantees for education in the native language for children belonging to national minorities, including the Hungarian community. Zelenskyy signed the law that same day.
Just one day later, the European Union officially opened two additional negotiating clusters in its accession talks with Ukraine—covering the internal market, as well as competitiveness and inclusive growth. This brings the total number of opened clusters to four out of six. Hungary had previously blocked the opening of these two negotiating areas, demanding that Kyiv provide additional legal guarantees regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority.