Ukraine and Hungary's Foreign Ministers begin talks in Budapest: Initial details
Photo: Andrii Sybiha, head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó (facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official)
Today, September 30, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó in Budapest. The parties began talks in a one-on-one format, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
“In Budapest, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó began one-on-one talks,” the statement reads.
Photo: Andrii Sybiha, head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó (facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official)
Szijjártó, in turn, says that his country is in the global majority in calling for a speedy establishment of peace in Ukraine. Budapest also wants good neighborly relations with Kyiv.
“We will see how far we go today...” he added.
Expanded negotiations begin
“The one-on-one talks between Sybiha and Szijjártó lasted about an hour, twice as long as planned. After their completion, negotiations in an expanded format with the participation of delegations began,” the ministry said.
Relations between Ukraine and Hungary
Problems with Hungary over national minorities began to escalate after Ukraine adopted an education law in 2017. According to this law, representatives of national minorities could study in their native language only in primary school, while in middle and high school, education had to be conducted in Ukrainian.
Hungary viewed this law as an attempt at assimilation, which is why it has repeatedly blocked EU initiatives to support Ukraine.
Hungary refused to provide military assistance to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression amid a full-scale war.
More details about relations with Budapest - in the RBC-Ukraine article.
