Hungary and Ukraine Reach Agreement on Minority Rights, Paving Way for EU Accession Talks
Hungary has announced a significant agreement with Ukraine regarding the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region. This deal is a crucial step in clearing the path for Ukraine to begin European Union accession talks. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar revealed that the agreement would enhance the linguistic, educational, cultural, and political rights of approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. This development follows a history of opposition from Hungary, under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to Ukraine's EU accession over minority rights issues. The agreement is expected to be translated into Ukrainian law soon, which would allow Hungary to support the opening of the first negotiating cluster in Ukraine's EU accession process. This move is seen as a breakthrough in Ukraine's bid to join the EU, with the potential for formal approval of the EU's common position on the cluster next week.