Magyar Says He Agreed to Start EU Talks with Ukraine After Approval of Minority Protection Plan

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar explained in a Facebook post that his government consented to the opening of the first negotiation cluster between Ukraine and the European Union. This followed Ukraine's amendment of its national minority protection plan, with the wording coordinated with EU member states.

Magyar noted that his government managed in a few weeks what his predecessor Viktor Orbán could not achieve in ten years – securing the rights of the Hungarian minority. He called the agreement historic.

He stated that Budapest also secured EU guarantees for the implementation of the bilateral agreement regulating the rights of Hungarians in Transcarpathia. The Ukrainian side officially committed to fulfilling all points and included this agreement in the EU Action Plan on Minorities. According to Magyar, this means that compliance with the commitments under the Hungarian-Ukrainian agreement on minority rights has now become an EU requirement. The European Commission and the European Council will continuously monitor implementation.

Magyar declared that if Ukraine fails to meet its obligations regarding Hungarian minority rights within the set deadlines, it will not be able to progress further in the EU accession process. He said these agreements were a precondition for Hungary's consent to open the first negotiation cluster. He also reminded that opening the first cluster is only the first step in a long and complex process.

Earlier, the EU officially confirmed the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine on Friday. Before that, Ukraine had fulfilled the last Hungarian demand for the opening of the negotiation cluster.