The future Prime Minister of Hungary, Peter Magyar, discussed with EU representatives the prospects for opening negotiation clusters on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
An EU official informed Suspilny about this. However, he did not provide details of Hungary's position on promoting Ukraine's accession to the EU.
“It was a constructive and meaningful meeting on the eve of Magyar's inauguration as Prime Minister of Hungary on May 9. They discussed cooperation within the framework of the European Council. President Costa informed Magyar about various issues discussed at the informal meeting of the European Council in Cyprus, and they exchanged views on further steps. In particular, they discussed Ukraine, the multi-annual budget, and competitiveness,” our interlocutor said.
At the same time, Bloomberg writes that Peter Magyar wants Ukraine to grant the Hungarian minority more rights in exchange for approving progress on EU accession. The publication notes, in particular, that his demands echo the 11-point plan previously submitted by Viktor Orban's government.
The European Commission's press service reported in a comment to the Public that Ukraine had already adopted an Action Plan on National Minorities last year, which the EC positively assessed. “It takes into account the concerns expressed by neighboring countries and provides a solid basis for resolving outstanding issues. Regular monitoring of the implementation of the plan is ensured by the Commission together with the Ukrainian authorities. Next steps – The Commission calls on Ukraine to continue its work and implement the adopted Action Plan in a timely manner. Providing Ukraine with the opportunity to continue its work within the “Fundamentals” cluster will actually contribute to strengthening the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and the protection of minorities in Ukraine in accordance with EU standards. The Commission stands ready to provide further assistance and support in this process together with the Member States,” the press service reported.