The Hungarian ambassador said at a meeting last week that Budapest is now ready to engage on Ukraine to achieve concrete results, as Péter Magyar's new government initiates technical discussions with Kyiv on how to address the thorny issue of the Hungarian minority.
Under Viktor Orbán, Hungary blocked the opening of the EU accession process for Ukraine on the so-called first cluster, which covers key reforms essential to the negotiation talks, including the rule of law and financial control.
Budapest and Kyiv have long been at odds over the sizeable Hungarian minority living in Ukraine's western region of Transcarpathia. This tension remains widespread in Hungarian society, even after Magyar's crushing victory brought an end to Orbán's 16-year rule.
The previous Hungarian government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, created an 11-point plan aimed at restoring rights for the Hungarian community in Ukraine. Implementing these measures is still seen by Budapest as important for opening the first key chapter in Ukraine’s EU accession process.
A first concrete sign that relations between the two countries may be improving emerged during a discussion among EU ambassadors last Wednesday, when the Hungarian diplomat said Budapest was ready to engage on the issue.
