Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto says Hungary is under significant international pressure for blocking meetings of Ukraine - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commissions.
The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
He says Hungary is under significant international pressure to retract its veto of further NATO-Ukraine negotiations, and Hungary views this international pressure as unfair in view of the fact that Ukraine is responsible for the situation that has arisen.
"Hungary will not bow to international pressure and sacrifice the rights of the Hungarian people living in Ukraine on the altar of geopolitical interests. Hungary will continue to veto Ukraine's accession to NATO until it restores the rights that were previously afforded to national minorities. If Hungary were to bow to pressure and 'forego' the veto it would remain without instruments with which to protect the rights of Hungarians living in Ukraine," the press service quoted the Minister as saying.
He said Ukraine could have the veto withdrawn if it restored the previously acquired rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians.
The Minister says that he will be stating the same thing at the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on April 27.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Hungary intends to block Ukraine's participation in the meeting of defense ministers of the European Union in April and the summit Ukraine - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with participation of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in July 2018.
Hungary has blocked a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO commission at the level of defense ministers that was scheduled to be held during the period of February 14-15 because of the language provisions of the Education Law.
The new wording of the Education Law took effect on September 28, 2017.
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