Hungary blocks convening of NATO-Ukraine Commission

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto provided a formal justification of Hungary's position.

POLITICS NOVEMBER 30. 2022 11:21

It has been clear for years that the Hungarian government will not agree to the formal convening of the NATO-Ukraine Commission until the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia are restored, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated in Bucharest on Tuesday, Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet writes.

Responding to a question by the press after the NATO foreign minister’s meeting, FM Szijjarto confirmed the information obtained by Financial Times, namely that

Hungary blocked the convening of the NATO-Ukraine Commission yet again, so the Ukrainian foreign minister will only participate in a working dinner.

„This is not a new position by Hungary. We made it clear years ago that Hungary will continue to block formal meetings of the NATO-Ukraine Commission until the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia are restored in Ukraine,” FM Szijjarto stated.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, everyone can see and experience that our country has not brought up issues regarding the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, Peter Szijjarto emphasized.

„We are not bringing these issues up, but we haven’t forgotten about them, he stressed. We hope that the war will end as soon as possible, and when the war is over, we will have the opportunity to discuss these matters again,” he added.

Hungary’s government cannot and does not want to go back on this position, he said, underlining that the cabinet continues to consider it extremely important to safeguard the rights of Ukraine’s Hungarian minorities.

At the NATO meeting, he said, an informal, so-called „non-paper” proposal had been put forward concerning the NATO-Ukraine Commission, which Hungary and Turkey rejected to sign.

„I think tonight’s informal meeting, to be attended by Ukraine’s foreign minister, will provide an appropriate platform for consultations as required by NATO member states, he said.

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Hungary, NATO, péter szijjártó, ukraine