“Another meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrei Sibigiga, as before, now in the future we will defend the interests of the Hungarians of Transcarpathia,” the Hungarian minister wrote.
Sibiga noted in X that at a meeting with Siyyarto it was about “ways of solving problems in our bilateral relations.” He added that Ukraine is interested in finding solutions, not obstacles.
According to him, the heads of foreign policy departments agreed to hold the following round of relevant consultations between the Ukrainian and Hungarian teams next week.
“Like two neighbors, both of our states deserve a reliable world, security and development,” Sibiga added.
I have s @Fm_szijjarto To the discussion of our Bilateral Agenda and ReaFfirm Ukraine's Interest in Maintining Construction Dialogue with Hungary.
We talked about how to solve issues in our relationship. Ukraine is interested in the solutions section, is not obstacles.
We Agreed to … pic.twitter.com/sawnl11tgl
– Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andriii_sybiha) April 4, 2025
On April 3, the Foreign Minister of Hungary said in X that their negotiations with Sibigiga supposedly were supposed to take place last week, but Ukraine “canceled” them. Sibiga replied that they would meet on April 4 for a detailed discussion of all issues of our agenda, “as we agreed in New Delhi.”
Context
The relations of Kyiv and Budapest worsened after the adoption of the Law “On Education” in Ukraine in 2017. According to the norms of this document, they expand the use of the state language in school education. Hungary expressed concern to the future of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side explained that in Hungarian schools in Transcarpathia the Ukrainian language taught in such meager volumes that after graduation, most young Hungarians practically do not understand it. Therefore, they have problems entering Ukrainian universities and a job search.
Also in Hungary, the law adopted in 2019 on the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language was considered unacceptable. The Foreign Ministry of Hungary stated that this law violates the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
The Council for National Security and Defense noted that Ukraine is ready to go for certain compromises on the issue of national minorities for the sake of European integration. At the same time, the Ukrainian government believes that Hungary is “politically not interested” once and for all to close the question of national minorities in Ukraine.
On December 8, 2023, the Rada adopted the bill No. 10288-1 regarding the accounting of the expert assessment of the Council of Europe and its bodies for the rights of national minorities (communities) in certain areas. On the same day, the European integration law was signed by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. He noted that the document took into account the conclusions of the Venice Commission.
The Foreign Ministry of Hungary said on December 9 that they would follow the implementation of the law on national minorities adopted by the Rada in Ukraine, adding that it was far from the return of the rights of 2015.
On March 22, 2025, Siyyarto said that Hungary would block the progress with Ukraine’s entry into the European Union, until the Hungarians of Transcarpathia returned the right in 2015.
