Ukraine and Hungary to hold consultations on Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia this week - Sybiha

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held telephone talks with Hungarian Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orbán. They agreed to hold a round of expert consultations on the Hungarian minority in the Zakarpattia Region this week. This is stated in a message on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

"Over the weekend, I had a constructive and meaningful telephone conversation with Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Anita Orbán. I thanked my colleague for the principled and prompt response of the Hungarian government to the latest russian attacks on Ukraine. I confirmed that Ukraine is ready to open a new, mutually beneficial page in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations without delay," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said.

Sybiha stressed that Ukraine is ready to work with the new Hungarian government on all issues of the bilateral agenda, including those concerning national minorities, in order to restore trust and good-neighborly relations between our states.

"We agreed to hold another round of Ukrainian-Hungarian expert consultations this week to find practical and effective solutions regarding the Hungarian minority in the Zakarpattia Region that will be beneficial for both states and our bilateral relations. Our goal is to ensure compliance with European standards and practices," he added.

In addition, Sybiha and Orbán discussed the broader regional, European and international agenda.

Sybiha also raised the issue of Ukraine's progress on the path to EU membership and confirmed our readiness to open negotiation clusters as soon as possible.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on May 13, the occupiers struck the western regions of Ukraine during a massive air attack. For the first time since the start of the full-scale russian invasion, explosions thundered in Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia Region.

After that, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said that the head of the country's foreign ministry, Anita Orbán, summoned the russian ambassador over russian strikes on the Zakarpattia Region. This is the first such case since 2022. Orbán told the ambassador of the aggressor country, russia, that it is unacceptable for Budapest that the russian army is striking the Zakarpattia Region of Ukraine.