Hungary's Prime Minister hopes to meet Zelenskyy and reveals possible location
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar (Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar hopes to hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berehove, located in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, said the government leader during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Budapest has already informed the Ukrainian side of its readiness for dialogue, and working-level consultations between the two countries have already begun.
Magyar clarified that the talks concern the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia, including language and other related issues.
"We have already sent a signal to the Ukrainian side and even launched working consultations regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority — linguistic and other rights — so that they can enjoy everything that all other minorities in the European Union have," he said.
The Hungarian Prime Minister expressed hope that this series of negotiations would conclude soon, after which a personal meeting with Zelenskyy could take place.
"I hope this series of working talks will conclude quickly and that, as I proposed, we will probably be able to meet with President Zelenskyy in Berehove, in Zakarpattia, where Hungarians make up a significant part of the population," Magyar noted.
Separately, the Hungarian government leader said Budapest would agree to open the first negotiation cluster in Ukraine’s EU accession talks only after "the situation of Hungarians in Zakarpattia is settled."
Ukraine-Hungary talks
On April 13, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Budapest had already received signals regarding the possibility of a meeting between Peter Magyar and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Foreign Minister stressed that Ukraine is ready to implement the highest EU standards regarding national minorities.
Later, Magyar announced plans to initiate a meeting with Zelenskyy in early June. According to him, the talks could take place in Berehove, Zakarpattia.
