“We regard and have always regarded the Hungarian national community in Transcarpathia as a resource that assists us in the establishment of cooperation between Hungary and Ukraine that is based on mutual respect and which facilitates the success of the two nations”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared in Berehove (Beregszász) at the end of the academic year and graduation ceremony of the Rákóczi Ferenc II Transcarpathian Hungarian College.
In his speech at the event, which was held according to tradition in the city’s protestant church, Mr. Szijjártó expressed his thanks to two members of the Ukrainian Government, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin and Minster of Education Lilija Hrinevics, for attending the graduation ceremony, adding that their presence is more than symbolic and provides hope that the Hungary-Ukraine inter-governmental negotiations to be held that same afternoon will end in success. Speaking to the students, the Minister expressed his thanks that they chose a Hungarian higher education institution.
“Those who choose the College in Beregszász contribute to the continued existence of the Hungarian language and Hungarian language education, and by doing so reinforce both the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia and the Hungarian nation as a whole”, he underlined. “Hungary and its government has always been proud of cross-border Hungarian communities, which not only contribute to the success of the Hungarian nation, but also to the performance of the country in which they live”, he stressed.
“For this reason, we regard and have always regarded the Hungarian national community in Transcarpathia as a resource that assists us in the establishment of cooperation between Hungary and Ukraine that is based on mutual respect and which facilitates the success of the two nations”, he said. “Hungary’s government, as it has done so far, will continue to support the issue of cross-border Hungarian education and the work of cross-border Hungarian education institutions in a committed manner and to a significant extent in the upcoming period”, he highlighted.
Turning to the graduating students, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised in closing: “We, the Hungarian people, show others respect, but we also expect to be shown respect, and if we are not respected then we raise our voices accordingly, and we do so proudly in view of the fact that we are members of a nation that is over a thousand years old. I ask that you too be proud of this after receiving your diplomas, and that you do well in life and reinforce our national communities”.
In his speech, Pavlo Klimkin called on the students of the Rákóczi Ferenc II Transcarpathian Hungarian College to preserve their self-identity and be open. The College in Berehove can be proud of the fact that over the course of its over two decades of existence it has enabled over three thousand students to receive diplomas, he said, and offered to hold a lecture for the College’s students at some time in future.
Lilija Hrinevics highlighted the fact that Ukraine is proud of is cultural and linguistic diversity. She pointed out that Ukraine is living through a difficult period, and the first citizen from Transcarpathia to give his life in the fight for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was a Hungarian from Berehove. She told the graduates that the world had opened up before them, and that as citizens of Ukraine they can realise themselves anywhere in the world, to then return home and enrich Ukraine with the knowledge they have acquired.
Ildikó Orosz, Rector of the Rákóczi II College, which is a centre of education, science and culture for the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia, said amongst others said that the academic year was coming to a close for some 1050 students who are studying at various levels at the College, in addition to which 102 graduates are receiving their BS, BSe or Master’s degrees, and a further 72 students will be receiving their specialist diplomas at a later date.
She explained that thanks to the support received from Hungary’s Bethlen Gábor Fund, the infrastructural development of the College will continue, within the framework of which a new health and sports centre will be opened in September.
On the next stop during his two-day visit to Transcarpathia, Mr. Szijjártó, Minster of Human Capacities Miklós Kásler and representatives of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia will be meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and Education Minister in Nyizsne Szolotvino (Alsószlatina) to discuss disputed issues relating to Article 7 of the Ukrainian Education Act adopted last September relating to the language of education in Ukraine.
(MTI)
