Szijjártó insists on the implementation by Ukraine of recommendations of the Venice Commission
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Hungary has offered Ukraine to establish a joint intergovernmental working group that will monitor the implementation of the conclusions of the Venice Commission on the “language article” Ukrainian law on education. On may 29, said the Minister of foreign Affairs Peter Siyyarto, reports a press-service of the government of Hungary.
“Hungary proposes to establish an intergovernmental working group with the mandate to monitor the implementation of conclusions of the Venice Commission on the Ukraine. Violating the rights of Hungarian national minorities, Ukraine has led to a situation that is bad for everyone,” said Szijjártó.
The head of the Hungarian foreign Ministry says that Budapest is not interested in sports of Ukraine and wants to find a solution to the current situation.
“The Venice Commission provided that the Ukrainian authorities should consult with national minorities and to refrain from restricting rights previously acquired,” said the Minister.
According to Szijjártó, the working group should comprise the Ministers of foreign Affairs and of education and representatives of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
May 29, Szijjártó met in new York with the Ukrainian Minister Paul Klimkina. The parties agreed to hold consultations with the Hungarian community of Ukraine about the Ukrainian law on education.
Relations between Ukraine and Hungary deteriorated after accepted 5 September 2017 on second reading and in whole the law “On education”, which expanded the use of the Ukrainian language in education. Hungary expressed concern about the future of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
On September 26 in the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Hungary warned that they will block any further rapprochement between Ukraine and the EU because of the law “On education”.
October 27, Minister of foreign Affairs of Hungary péter Szijjártó said that Budapest has opposed the Commission’s meeting on 6 December 2017 in Brussels.
7 February 2018, Deputy head of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasily Bodnar after a meeting in Uzhgorod with Deputy Minister of foreign economy and foreign Affairs of Hungary Levente Moder said that Kiev and Budapest have agreed on the key points regarding the settlement of the language issue.
February 8 at the Hungarian foreign Ministry denied the information about reaching agreements with Ukraine on linguistic norms of the law “On education”.
On April 27 at the headquarters of NATO held a meeting of the Alliance on the level of foreign Ministers of the allies. The Ukrainian party planned to hold the meeting of the meeting of the Commission Ukraine – NATO. The initiative of Ukraine was supported by all the allies, including the international Secretariat of the Alliance. Hungary vetoed it.
25 may it became known that the Hungarian government has written to the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the governments of the countries – members of the Alliance a document entitled: “Memorandum: the Initiative to create a new NATO policy towards Ukraine”.
Thus Hungary is trying to persuade allies and the Alliance that the West should change approaches to cooperation with Ukraine, primarily in the framework of NATO.
Representatives of Lithuania and Canada on may 26, said that Hungary should not block cooperation between Ukraine and NATO, and to solve their problems with Kiev differently.
