Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has welcomed Ukraine’s first steps towards strengthening the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia following talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels. The meeting also raised the prospect of a landmark visit to Budapest, where Zelensky has been invited to attend commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar held a one-to-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on Friday, describing progress on minority rights as an important first step towards restoring mutual trust between the two countries.
In a statement published on Facebook, Magyar said the main focus of the talks was the situation of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, western Ukraine. He welcomed a political agreement between Hungary and Ukraine aimed at strengthening minority rights and praised Kyiv for beginning to implement it.
According to Magyar, Ukraine’s parliament has adopted a law on minority education under the agreement, with implementation already under way.
Hungary welcomes progress on minority rights
Magyar also thanked Ukraine’s parliament for a resolution adopted in September acknowledging that crimes had been committed against ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia through forced labour and mass deportations between 1944 and 1946.
The issue is a sensitive part of the two countries’ shared history and has contributed to tensions between Budapest and Kyiv. Both leaders agreed to continue bilateral consultations at ministerial level, with particular attention to improving the situation of minorities living in their respective countries.
They also agreed that resetting political and economic relations was in the interests of both nations.
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Magyar offers diplomatic support for peace
Beyond bilateral relations, the Hungarian prime minister expressed solidarity with Ukraine over Russia’s nearly five-year-long war of aggression. Magyar told Zelensky that Hungary was prepared to provide assistance through all available diplomatic means to help secure an early ceasefire and lasting peace.
Detail: Interview: PM Magyar could meet Zelensky as early as next week
Zelensky invited to Budapest for 1956 Revolution anniversary
Meanwhile, Ukraine has indicated that Zelensky could visit Budapest as early as next week after receiving an invitation to commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Igor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, told Euronews in an exclusive interview on Friday that Zelensky had been invited to the anniversary events.
According to MTI, Zhovkva said Kyiv was optimistic about the new diplomatic opening between the two countries and viewed the event as an opportunity to turn recent progress into concrete results. He also expressed gratitude for Hungary’s support in advancing Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.
Zhovkva added that Zelensky would welcome Magyar in Kyiv, saying the Hungarian prime minister would always be a welcome guest in the Ukrainian capital. Other locations in Ukraine could also be considered for a meeting.