Hungarian foreign minister reveals details of upcoming consultations with Ukraine on minority issues

Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán has said that consultations with Ukraine on resolving issues related to the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia Oblast will take place with the participation of representatives of that community.

According to the minister, this was agreed during a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha over the weekend.

Orbán said on Facebook that both sides have appointed negotiating delegations, which will hold their first meeting online. She added that discussions will begin as early as tomorrow and could lay an important foundation for a prompt and satisfactory resolution of minority rights issues.

She also expressed hope that the dialogue would be constructive and productive and that the negotiations would soon bring tangible progress for the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia Oblast.

Hungary's new PM Péter Magyar had previously said he wanted to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Zakarpattia in June to discuss minority issues.

According to media reports, Magyar wants the Hungarian minority in Ukraine to be granted broader rights before he approves the formal start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.