The Ukrainian MFA chief Dmytro Kuleba met with his Hungarian colleague Peter Szijjártó for the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. They discussed the future decisions of the European Union summit regarding Ukraine and the issue of the Hungarian national minority.
Kuleba met with Szijjártó in Brussels
The head of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he had a "frank conversation" with his Hungarian colleague Péter Szijjártó in Brussels.
I informed him about the latest changes to the Ukrainian legislation on national minorities. We discussed in detail the issue of opening negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. I emphasized that the political decision on this matter is well-founded and timely.
Kuleba added that Ukraine will continue dialogue with Hungary ahead of the European Council summit later this week.
In his Instagram, Kuleba added that the conversation with Sijarto lasted an hour and was sincere.
We have known each other for a long time, although it is really the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia that we sat down and had a thorough conversation. We answered each other's questions honestly.
What Kuleba and Szijjártó talked about
Péter Szijjártó noted that Ukraine's European integration into the EU "has historical significance for the future of the entire European Union."
The European Commission is practically unaware of the impact of Ukraine's membership in the EU on the entire community. It is enough to think about the unmanageable problems caused by the previous decision of the European Commission regarding the transit of grain or the cancellation of mandatory licensing of Ukrainian cargoes. The European Commission has not completed the preparatory work that could guarantee that Ukraine will continue negotiations on accession in a mutually beneficial manner.
He added that it was a difficult period for the countries' bilateral relations because, since 2015, they have been overshadowed by the "restrictions" on the rights of the Hungarian national community.
Of course, we also talked about the law on minorities, and I also told my colleague that Hungary expects to return to the conditions in 2015. However, it is certain that we both remain committed to the further development of bilateral relations.
