Hungary has reached a "historic agreement" with Ukraine on the Hungarian minority, Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced, quoted by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
AFP points out that the issue was a "bone of contention" between Budapest and Kiev under former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who was close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The agreement could pave the way for the opening of the first cluster (group of negotiating chapters) in negotiations for the former Soviet republic to join the European Union (EU), Reuters notes.
The official start of such negotiations has so far been blocked by Hungary's veto under long-serving Prime Minister Orban. However, he fell from power after parliamentary elections in April, in which the pro-European Magyar party won a qualified majority in the legislature.
"The fundamental rights of 100,000 Hungarians (in Ukraine) will be restored," Madyar said last night, as quoted by Reuters. According to the Hungarian prime minister, who took office last month, the neighboring country has agreed to incorporate the terms of this agreement into its legislation, as well as in its action plan for EU accession negotiations.
"We have reached a comprehensive agreement with Ukraine to expand the linguistic, educational, cultural and political rights of the Hungarian minority," Madyar also wrote on Facebook, as quoted by AFP.