Hungary lashes out against Ukraine over controversial education law

Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-27 04:13:22|Editor: yan
Video PlayerClose

BUDAPEST, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Hungary is going to block and veto any move that could bring Ukraine closer to Europe in its integration process in the framework of the Eastern Partnership Program, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said Tuesday after Ukrainian President Petro Porosenko has signed the new Education Act.

Porosenko signed the new Ukrainian Education Act on Monday, despite criticism from neighboring countries following its adoption by the Ukrainian Parliament on Sept. 5.

Hungary lost two-third of its territories after the First World War, and as a consequence, large Hungarian ethnic minorities, close to 1.5 million people live in neighboring countries, most of them in Romania and Slovakia, but also some 150,000 in Ukraine.

According to the new law, the national minorities in Ukraine will be educated from the 5th grade upwards, in Ukrainian language. This concerns all subjects, except for the subjects of the mother tongue (like grammar and literature).

The expected blocks and veto of the Hungarian government "are going to hurt Ukraine", Szijjarto added, quoted by the Hungarian news agency MTI. Szijjarto spoke in Singapore, as a member of the Hungarian official delegation led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"Until now, Porosenko spoke of bringing Ukraine closer to Europe. Well, he just took a big leap backwards," Szijjarto was quoted as saying.

"Porosenko wanted Ukraine to be closer to Europe, but he can forget about that, as Hungary is going to block all initiatives that would be beneficial to Ukraine in all international organizations, especially within the EU," he warned.

Now that the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and the visa waiver program for Ukrainians have come into effect, the Ukrainians are "embracing the dream" that they are moving further on the road to European integration in the spirit of the Eastern Partnership, he said.

At the actual session of the UN Human Rights Council, Hungary will veto any EU speech or position that does not condemn Ukraine with sufficient force and determination, Szijjarto warned.

According to Kiev, the Hungarian declarations are "hysterical" and explained by the political campaign before next year's general elections.

Ukrainian education and science minister, Liliya Hrynevych, called Hungary's threat "extremely disappointing", saying that ethnic Hungarian children in Ukraine could still learn Hungarian at school. "We need more mutual understanding," Hrynevych told TV broadcaster 112.

Konstantin Yeliseyev, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration for foreign policy, told Ukrainian "Freedom" radio that Ukraine must remain with "calm and considerate", according to a report by MTI.

He said his country was ready for bilateral negotiations with the Hungarian government with the inclusion of experts, to prove that the law is in harmony with European standards and serves the interests of both Ukrainians and the Hungarian minority.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011105521366407611