Hungary, Ukraine reach deal on rights of ethnic Hungarians: PM

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Wednesday that Hungary and Ukraine have reached a "historic" agreement to expand the language, educational, and cultural rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Transcarpathia region, reported Xinhua. In a video message posted on social media, Magyar said the agreement followed weeks of negotiations between Hungarian and Ukrainian experts, with the participation of organizations representing ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia. Magyar said on Tuesday that technical negotiations regarding the minority rights were progressing positively, adding that he is ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky early next week. According to Magyar, Ukraine has committed to restoring the minority school system and expanding the use of Hungarian in education, including school administration, graduation examinations, and university entrance exams. The agreement will also allow wider use of the Hungarian language and national symbols in local communities where ethnic Hungarians account for more than 10 percent of the population, he added. Magyar said Ukraine has pledged to incorporate the agreed measures into its legislation, noting that the European Union (EU) will monitor the implementation of these commitments as part of Ukraine's accession process. The Hungarian government will support the opening of the first cluster of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations if Kyiv amends its minority action plan in line with the agreement, the prime minister said. However, Ukraine should not receive a fast-track accession procedure, and any future decision on Ukraine's EU membership will be subject to a legally binding referendum in Hungary, Magyar said, noting that Ukraine's EU accession negotiations could take 10 to 15 years to complete.