“People living near the Hungarian-Ukrainian border should be given the opportunity to commute to work across the border”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The Minister explained that he had held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba by phone, and the parties had mutually assured each other of their solidarity with relation to combatting the global pandemic. “Both countries are fighting the challenges caused by the epidemic on multiple fronts; we are continuously reinforcing their healthcare systems, as well as providing assistance to enable the rebooting of our economies”, he highlighted.

Mr. Szijjártó said he had informed his Ukrainian counterpart with relation to the fact that, in view of the situation, the validity of the 50-million-euro tied loan aid program pledged to facilitate road construction works in Transcarpathia has been extended by two years.
He also said that he has asked that people be allowed to commute to work on the other side of the border via the only border crossing station currently open to freight traffic at Záhony. “This would be a great help for people living in Transcarpathia and North-Eastern Hungary”, he added.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister also informed his Ukrainian counterpart about the fact that the Hungarian government is providing 100 thousand face masks, 30 thousand pairs of gloves and other protective equipment to hospitals and doctors in Transcarpathia in cooperation with the Ecumenical Relief Organization.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)