Hungary has stated that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union may be automatically suspended if agreements regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia are not fulfilled. At the same time, Budapest no longer objects to the start of the negotiation process.
As reported by Radio Svoboda, Anita Orbán made the statement ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.
According to the minister, after several weeks of negotiations, Budapest and Kyiv reached a bilateral agreement regarding the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia in the areas of education, public administration, the use of symbols, and culture.
“A major achievement of last week was that this agreement was included in the Ukraine–EU Action Plan on national minorities,” Orbán said.
She explained that the agreement became part of the first negotiation cluster concerning fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law, which is scheduled to be opened on June 15.
“The agreement also includes a so-called joint benchmark, which means that if Ukraine does not implement this agreement or implements it only partially, the accession process within this cluster will automatically be suspended,” the Hungarian minister stated.
According to her, the implementation of agreements concerning minority rights is a “fundamental condition” for Ukraine’s European integration.
At the same time, Orbán stated that Budapest no longer opposes the start of Ukraine’s EU accession talks.
“Hungary is once again acting as a European country, defending its national interests,” the minister said, calling the current moment “Hungary’s return” to a common European future.
She also stressed that Budapest does not support any alternative formats of membership for Ukraine.
“We support the standard process based on the current enlargement methodology, which is founded on results and reforms,” Orbán stated.
The opening of the first negotiation cluster on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU is scheduled for June 15 during intergovernmental conferences in Luxembourg.
