Violations of the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians and the persecution of Christians must both be fought against, Bence Rétvári of the ministry of human resources said on Thursday at the 40th General Assembly of UNESCO in Paris.
The parliamentary state secretary told MTI by phone that he gave a briefing on the attacks and deprivations ethnic Hungarians face in Ukraine, citing the education and language laws and the authorities turning a blind eye to attacks against Hungarian institutions, as well as their toleration of anti-Hungarian nationalist marches.
Rétvári in his speech called on UNESCO and its member states to make greater efforts to protect the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia in the areas of education and culture.
Asked whether Ukraine’s new president may improve chances of resolving the various problematic issues, he said he was confident.
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He also said in his speech that Christianity was the most persecuted religion in the world and Hungary put a premium on taking appropriate action to combat it.
Rétvári underlined Hungary’s standpoint on migration, namely that help should be delivered to people where they were in need, and he noted Hungarian help to reconstruct and equip schools and hospitals in regions torn apart by conflict.
Rétvári announced Hungary’s application for membership of UNESCO’s Executive Council for the period 2019-2023.
Featured photo by Márton Mónus/MTI