Hungary expects progress with Ukraine on national minorities as early as October
Hungary expects to see concrete progress as early as October in negotiations with Ukraine on the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Transcarpathia. This was stated by Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban in an interview with Index during a visit to New York.
According to Orban, Budapest and Kyiv continue to discuss the implementation of the agreements reached in June on an almost daily basis. In particular, the Hungarian minister is in constant contact with the Ukrainian deputy prime minister responsible for European integration.
The main subject of negotiations remains a draft law that should regulate the educational rights of the Hungarian minority in the Transcarpathian region. Orban said that the document should be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada in October.
“No later than October, we will be able to see a positive development in the situation regarding the rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarian minority,” — said the head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry.
This concerns the implementation of the Ukrainian-Hungarian agreement reached in June 2026. It provides for changes in the fields of education, the use of the Hungarian language, and national symbols.
In particular, the Hungarian side previously reported that the agreements provide for the restoration of the system of national minority schools and guarantees for the use of the Hungarian language in the educational process. In settlements where the proportion of Hungarian population exceeds the established threshold, the expansion of opportunities for using the language in the public sphere is also being discussed.
In early September, Orban stated that Ukraine's further progress in negotiations on EU membership will depend on the implementation of these obligations. Hungary continues to block the opening of individual negotiation clusters, linking its position to ensuring the rights of the Hungarian minority.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry previously stated its readiness to seek practical solutions that meet European standards and to restore trust in relations with Budapest. In May, the parties agreed to intensify expert consultations on the issues of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia.
Orban also said that she had met several times with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha during the week of the UN General Assembly in New York. According to her, the parties managed to resolve some of the differences that had arisen in recent days, including around the new regional format “Carpathian Eight”.
The head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry did not rule out that in the future Hungary might join this format, if participation would serve the country's interests and would be preceded by appropriate coordination.
Based on materials from: Index, MFA of Ukraine, Telex
