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Ukraine, Hungary to hold language talks
Journal Staff Report

KYIV, June 21 – Ukraine and Hungary on Friday will hold talks to try to solve their differences over language legislation and to end Budapest’s boycott of Kyiv’s European integration and NATO ties.

The relations between the two countries soured in October after Hungary had criticized Ukraine’s language legislation making it mandatory for ethnic minorities to learn Ukrainian language in schools.

Hungary, a member of the EU and NATO, pledged to “block and boycott” all attempts to draw Ukraine more deeply into the European Union and NATO unless Kyiv changes the education law.

"I really hope for a positive result and a constructive one. At least our previous discussions give me the opportunity to talk about it," Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said at a press conference.

He said Ukraine will insist that its citizens, including ethnic Hungarian minority, must be able to speak freely in Ukrainian language to make sure they have equal opportunities in the society.

“Our goal is to help [them] gain a real level of proficiency in the Ukrainian language,” Klimkin said. “Otherwise, they are discriminated against compared with all other citizens. This is a fundamental red line in our tomorrow's talks.”

The parties hold the senior level talks as both, the EU and NATO have urged the parties to come to a solution and stop boycotting important meetings between Ukraine and the European organizations.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the United States in February urged Hungary and Ukraine to resolve their differences over Ukraine's new minority language law.

Hungary’s exceptionally harsh stance to the law that requires more classes in Ukrainian language in high schools mirrors Russia’s position and contrasts sharply with that of Romania and Poland that also have ethnic groups living in Ukraine.

Ukraine has some 150,000 ethnic Hungarians and many Hungarian schools.

The law, which was passed in September, specifies that Ukrainian will be the main language used in schools, rolling back an option for lessons to be taught in other languages.

Ukraine approved the law amid the government’s concerns that some state-funded schools, for example Hungarian ethnic schools in TransCarpathia region, currently do not offer classes in Ukrainian language at all. (nr/ez)




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