Ukraine's law banning secondary schools from teaching in minority languages continues to put a strain on its relationship with Hungary, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Friday
KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th February, 2020) Ukraine's law banning secondary schools from teaching in minority languages continues to put a strain on its relationship with Hungary, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Friday.
The law, which critics say discriminates against Ukraine's sizable Hungarian, Russian, Romanian and Polish minorities, took effect in 2017, and all its provisions should be implemented by the end of this year.
"Our ties are weighed down by one particular issue which concerns education... We understand Ukraine's desire to have all its citizens... speak Ukrainian but we want Hungarians in Zakarpattia to be able to preserve their native language," Szijjarto said at a press briefing.
The diplomat said the two nations could find a "methodological," win-win solution to the problem. Kiev has agreed that Budapest will send teachers to the southwestern region of Zakarpattia to work out a mutually acceptable approach, the foreign minister said.
Hungary has retaliated against the Ukrainian education law by blocking Kiev's attempts to foster a closer relationship with the European Union and NATO. Budapest vetoed NATO's joint declaration on Ukraine last October because it did not mention abuse of minority rights.
