Magyar and Zelensky hold first one-on-one meeting

“I held a one-on-one meeting in Brussels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. I welcomed the political agreement reached between Hungary and Ukraine on strengthening the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia,” Péter Magyar said.

“We consider it a first step toward restoring mutual trust that the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the minority education law based on this agreement and that the Ukrainian side immediately proceeded to implement it,” he wrote.

The Hungarian Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the Ukrainian Parliament’s September resolution, in which it acknowledged that crimes were committed against Hungarians in Transcarpathia between 1944 and 1946 through forced labor and mass deportations.

He and the Ukrainian president agreed to continue consultations between the two countries at the ministerial level and to pay special attention to further improving the situation of minorities living in both countries. They agreed that it is in the interest of both countries to place political and economic relations on a new footing.

Péter Magyar assured Zelensky of his full solidarity in the face of the inhumane Russian aggression against his country, which has been ongoing for nearly five years, and told him that Hungary is ready to use every possible diplomatic means to help bring about a ceasefire as soon as possible and establish a lasting peace.

When asked about his meeting with Péter Magyar at a press conference in Brussels, the Ukrainian President said it went very well, and they discussed a number of topics, including issues related to the economy. He added that they are grateful to Hungary for supporting the next steps towards opening two clusters of EU accession negotiations.

On his social media page, Zelensky also announced that they would organize reciprocal visits with Prime Minister Magyar. “The exact dates of the meetings will be coordinated by the relevant teams from both countries,” he wrote on his social media page following his meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister.

On Thursday, a bilateral meeting of outstanding significance also took place in Rome: it was the first meeting between the Speakers of the Hungarian and Ukrainian Parliaments since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

On Monday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law providing for education in the native languages of the country's ethnic minorities, thereby paving the way for a substantive resolution of Hungarian-Ukrainian relations, which have been fraught with conflict for more than a decade. Ahead of the Rada’s vote, Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán stated that“. It is important that everything we have discussed actually be implemented, and that the Ukrainians honor their commitments.”, she said.

Speaking in Parliament after the law was adopted in Ukraine, Péter Magyar emphasized that the Ukrainian side had fulfilled its commitment ahead of the planned year-end deadline, which is a positive sign for rebuilding relations between the two countries. He then addressed Fidesz representatives, also touching on the previous Hungarian government’s responsibility for the strained relations. “...there is much to be put right—after all, your ousted leader committed many wrongs and sacrificed much, above all the safety of the Hungarians in Transcarpathia.”