Transcarpathian Hungarians call on Orban not to impede Ukraine-EU talks
Representatives of the Hungarian community of Zakarpattya Oblast appealed to the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, with a request to admit Ukraine to the negotiations on joining the European Union, according to the document published by the Democratic Community of Hungarians of Ukraine.
The appeal states that Transcarpathian Hungarians are asking to support the decision to open negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU, the adoption of which is scheduled for December 14-15.
The authors note that in 2023, Ukraine showed progress in fulfilling the requirements of the European Commission regarding the rights of national minorities.
"The new draft law adopted by the Ukrainian parliament significantly reflects the interests of national minorities and enjoys our support. At the same time, we hope that all the norms adopted in the said law will be implemented into the regulatory documents of the legislation, taking into account all the proposals that were provided by the organizations of Transcarpathian Hungarians. This step is important for confirmation of Ukraine's commitment to strengthening the rights of people of various nationalities throughout the country and in Zakarpattya in particular," the document says.
Hungarian representatives called on all EU leaders to continue supporting Ukraine's European integration.
"We believe that Ukraine deserves support for its efforts in this direction. Even during Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to carry out the necessary reforms and remains true to its European integration values. We are grateful for your attention to this issue and hope for a positive solution," the appeal concludes.
On November 7, Orban's adviser said that Hungary will block the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, as it demands the repeal of the Ukrainian language law.
On November 8, the European Commission recommended starting negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
The question of the start of negotiations between the European Union and Ukraine regarding accession should be decided in December at the EU summit. This decision needs the unanimous approval of all 27 member states.