Hungary and Ukraine Hold First Talks on Minority Rights Since New Government Took Office

Hungary and Ukraine launched expert-level talks on Wednesday focused on rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine's western Transcarpathia region. The consultations represent the first such meetings since the new government took office in Budapest.

Hungary's foreign affairs minister Anita Orban described the talks, which included representatives of the Hungarian minorities in Ukraine, as important steps toward rebuilding bilateral relations.

Background on the Dispute The issue centers on roughly 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living in the region. Hungary's former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán defended policies citing alleged restrictions on language and education rights for this community. In 2017, Ukraine passed a law requiring at least 70 percent of education above fifth grade to be conducted in Ukrainian.

Budapest called the measure discriminatory while Kyiv said it aimed to ensure every citizen has sufficient knowledge of the official language.

2023, Ukraine's parliament approved changes to the law on national minorities, one of seven steps recommended by the European Commission for EU accession. The updated law allows use of EU languages and those of national minorities in political advertising, private schools, universities, student organizations, and the media.

Ukraine's foreign affairs minister Andrii Sybiha said three key issues were on the agenda: bilateral relations, minority rights, and Ukraine's EU accession. He stated that Ukraine wants to open a new chapter in bilateral relations based on trust. Representatives from Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science and the Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education also participated in the meeting.