The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has issued an official comment in connection with the recent statement by Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Schemien about the creation of ethnic Hungarian autonomies abroad.
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Comment posted on the department's website.
The statement says that “the issue of ensuring the rights of national minorities in Ukraine should not be used to fuel an atmosphere of mistrust and misunderstanding.”
“We must together resist attempts to use the issue of ensuring the rights of national minorities, including the interpretation of Shemyen’s words, as has been repeatedly done by the Russian aggressor, to fuel an atmosphere of mistrust and misunderstanding. Thanks to the many years of efforts of the Ukrainian authorities and the Hungarian community, the level of provision for the cultural, religious and educational needs of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine is in many ways an example for other countries in the region,” the Foreign Ministry said in a commentary.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry notes that in Kyiv Shemyen’s words were received “with surprise.”
“We highly appreciate the friendly nature of bilateral relations and the high level of constructive cooperation. We hope that the position of respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and Constitution of our state will continue to be the basis of our good neighborly relations. No speculation on this topic meets the interests of our two countries and peoples and, we hope, does not reflect the official position of Budapest,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Schemien said it was in the interests of Hungarian foreign policy to promote Hungarian parties abroad, as well as to create ethnic autonomies for the Hungarian population. Let us remind you that in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine, in several areas, Hungarians make up the majority of the population.