Ukraine is unable to make progress in the process of accession to the European Union and NATO through its own fault, Hungary has nothing to do with it, the Minister of State for communication and Hungary’s international image at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Hungarian news agency MTI on Thursday.

Tamás Menczer said this in response to the fact that due to his “unfriendly” statements made by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in connection with Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations Envoy Extraordinary László Csaba Pap as Hungary’s head of mission was summoned to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. The Minister of State said in Tusnádfürdő the Hungarian Prime Minister spoke about the actual state of affairs, and for this Ukraine cannot take Hungary to task.

It was not Hungary that adopted unfriendly measures against Ukraine, it was the other way round. It was not in Hungary, but in Ukraine where an education law was adopted which frustrated education in the mother tongue for national minorities. In Ukraine the already existing, acquired rights of minorities are in danger. This means that Ukraine is going against its international commitments, as well as the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and the programme for Ukraine’s preparation to NATO membership.

Mr Menczer observed that despite the outright attack on the Hungarian community, Hungary continues to adopt a fair approach to Ukraine, and only recently it donated several tonnes of chlorine to the Transcarpathian Oblast to ensure its continued supply of drinking water.

“We expect Ukraine to give back to national minorities the rights of which it has deprived them, and to put an end to their disenfranchised status”, the Minister of State said.

(MTI)