澳门六合彩

BY MARK TEMNYCKY

After a three-year political dispute between Hungary and Ukraine, it appears the two countries have begun to mend their relationship.

Hungarian-Ukrainian relations took a contentious turn in September 2017 when then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a controversial . The bill stated that secondary education in Ukraine would be taught strictly in Ukrainian, although minority groups could still learn their respective languages in other classes. Poroshenko that the Ukrainian language law was 鈥渋n harmony with European standards鈥� and that the Ukrainian language鈥檚 status within 鈥渢he education process.鈥� Ukrainian authorities stated that the enforcement of the Ukrainian language would help minority groups integrate into Ukrainian society. Nevertheless, the law sparked outrage from the various ethnic minority communities in Ukraine.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after the bill was signed, the law 鈥渄id not create an appropriate balance between鈥� the various languages spoken in Ukraine. PACE then offered seven recommendations on how Ukraine could modify its language law to be more inclusive toward minority groups, such as by providing more time during the transition period and improving the quality of Ukrainian language teaching. The Venice Commission these proposed amendments in December 2017.

Government officials from Ukraine鈥檚 neighboring states also voiced their concerns. In response to Ukraine鈥檚 language bill, Hungary鈥攐ne of the language law鈥檚 most vocal critics鈥攖ook a series of actions to Ukraine鈥檚 integration efforts with the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This is where the Hungarian-Ukrainian dispute began.

According to Hungarian authorities, the Ukrainian language law was as it diminished the status of minority languages in Ukraine. Ukraine鈥檚 ethnic Hungarian community comprises nearly 160,000 people, or 0.3% of Ukraine鈥檚 total population. This minority group is concentrated in the Transcarpathian region near the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, and many of these residents hold Hungarian-Ukrainian citizenship (though the Ukrainian government dual citizenship).

The election of Volodymyr Zelensky as the new president of Ukraine, however, has seen a turn in the Hungarian-Ukrainian relationship. In April 2019, prior to Zelensky鈥檚 appointment, Ukraine passed a new education law which stated that Ukraine鈥檚 secondary schools would be permitted to use . Ukrainian remained the official language in the classroom, but the law meant that minority groups would now be allowed to use their own languages in these education settings.

Zelensky then with the recommendations proposed by the Venice Commission on Ukraine鈥檚 language law, where he notably met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to . As of October 2019, Ukraine has amended its education law by implementing . Most recently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Hungary and the Venice Commission that Ukraine would implement this seventh recommendation, although this would be at a later date. The Ukrainian government鈥檚 willingness to with these international bodies has demonstrated to the Hungarians that the Ukrainians were actively working to resolve this issue, and these efforts have begun to mend the Hungarian-Ukrainian relationship.

During a trip to Hungary earlier this year, Kuleba that now was the time to 鈥渙pen a new chapter in [Ukraine鈥檚] bilateral relations鈥� with Hungary. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade P茅ter Szijj谩rt贸 agreed, stating that he had hoped Ukraine鈥檚 language controversies were now resolved. Both governments also expressed their desire to draft a joint declaration on the Hungarian community in western Ukraine. The included integrating the Hungarian minority group into Ukrainian society, upholding the minority group鈥檚 language and culture in the Transcarpathia region, and turning this community into a 鈥渟uccess story鈥� for Hungarian-Ukrainian relations. Hungary also that it would support economic and infrastructure programs in Ukraine. The , however, was Szijj谩rt贸鈥檚 announcement that Hungary was now looking into lifting its veto on the NATO-Ukraine Commission. 鈥淸A]s soon as the issues related to the right to education of the Hungarian ethnic minorities are settled, we will lift the veto and ensure a NATO-Ukraine meeting,鈥� Szijj谩rt贸 declared.

Following their discussions, Kuleba invited Szijj谩rt贸 to visit Ukraine, barring any travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. The foreign ministers of both countries at the Hungary-Ukraine bilateral agreement on September 23.

Overall, Hungarian-Ukrainian relations have been sour over the past few years, but it appears that both states are now working together to resolve their disputes. The efforts of these two governments have demonstrated that they are willing to cooperate to achieve a greater goal, and Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n and Ukrainian President Zelensky have even to meet with one another to normalize Hungarian-Ukrainian relations.

Should Ukraine amend its language and education laws to the satisfaction of the Hungarians, and should Hungary lift its veto on Ukraine鈥檚 integration efforts with the EU and NATO, this would be a major success. Ukraine would gain an important ally in these Western alliances, and the EU and NATO would gain a strategic partner in the region. The possibilities and benefits of these mutually beneficial relationships are endless.

The opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Kennan Institute.