Hungary approves two EU accession negotiation clusters for Ukraine

Ukraine and Hungary have reached an agreement regarding Ukraine’s EU accession process, specifically concerning the rights of national minorities. Following a period of tension where Hungary blocked certain negotiation clusters, the Ukrainian parliament has introduced a bill to regulate the educational rights of indigenous peoples and national minorities. This legislative proposal has already been approved by the relevant parliamentary committee.

In response to these developments, Hungary has given the ‘green light’ at the Coreper level to proceed with the second and third negotiation clusters: ‘Internal Market’ and ‘Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth’. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha stated that the move represents progress toward European unity, noting that both nations are taking steps toward each other. The dispute had primarily centered on the 2017 Ukrainian education laws, which Hungary argued restricted language and educational opportunities for the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.