Ukraine's Foreign Ministry denies claims about ban on Party of Hungarians of Ukraine in Zakarpattia

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied claims about a ban on the Party of Hungarians of Ukraine operating in Zakarpattia Oblast (Transcarpathia) in Ukraine's west.

Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the claims about the preparation to ban the Party of Hungarians of Ukraine as untrue.

"Our official response is simple: no such actions have been taken against the mentioned party. Media reports claiming otherwise are false. Our bilateral relations already face enough challenges that need addressing; there is no need to add unfounded media claims to that list," he said in response to a query from European Pravda regarding comments made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. 

Earlier, several pro-government Hungarian media outlets, including Magyar Nemzet, citing non-existent sources, claimed that Ukraine intended to ban the Party of Hungarians of Ukraine.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that he expects "immediate clarification from the Ukrainian government regarding media reports about the ban on the party representing the interests of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia".

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