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“Ukrainian politics supports the restoration of the rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarians at the highest level,” Árpád János Potápi, State Secretary for National Policy, said at a press event. At the event, the politician also gave details of the “2024, the Year of Cooperating Nation” program, saying that schools that have not sent any students to the “Without Borders” program will be sought out, reports Magyar Nemzet.
“Ukrainian policy supports at the highest level the restoration of pre-2015 rights to the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia,” said Árpád János Potápi. Speaking about a recent visit to Transcarpathia with Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, he said that the Ukrainian side had been made aware that there are still loopholes in the law allowing the restoration of rights that need to be closed. They agreed with the Ukrainians that they would be able to discuss the issues in dispute within ten days of the visit and he hoped that their requests would be met.
The State Secretary stressed:
They wanted to hear the opinions of the people living in Transcarpathia, they also involved local organizations, and it was not decided in Budapest what would be good for the people living beyond the border.”
He considered it a step forward that the frozen silence between the two countries could be broken with this meeting.
He also touched on the issue of the Hungarian minority in Romania, pointing out that with the rise of the Romanian AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians) party, it should be examined what led to the rise of an extreme nationalist party and its prospects of gaining more voters. The most important interest of Hungarians in Romania is that the RMDSZ (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania) achieves good results in every single election, the politician noted.
Speaking about national politics, he said that it was important to reach as many people as possible, because without them national politics would be unfeasible, so this year they will continue the program they started last year, which they named “2024, the Year of Cooperating Nations.” Within this framework, they can also support the Hungarian nation by strengthening networks, and this year the most important task is to coordinate this activity, he added.
He cited the networks of the media, teachers, young people, entrepreneurs, and local authorities as examples. Teachers’ organizations from across the border are being supported to strengthen the Hungarian institutional system and to encourage more Hungarian children to enroll in Hungarian institutions.
It is important to ensure that the Hungarian homeland’s ability to hold on to its roots is preserved in each region,”
he stressed.
Árpád János Potápi. Photo: Facebook/Nemzetpolitikai Államtitkárság
The state secretary also said that the Hungarian communities abroad would be supported with HUF 2 billion (EUR 5 million) in tenders, to be launched this year under the name of “Cooperating Nation.” He stressed that not a single support program in Transcarpathia has been stopped, and charitable programs have also been implemented to strengthen the local population.
The politician also announced that
more groups of students will be able to participate in the “Without Borders” program, and this school year all the children and groups applying will be able to travel, involving some 47,000 children in the process.
He added: “We will also be contacting schools that are not applying for the program to find out why these institutions are not giving their students this experience.”
Via Magyar Nemzet, Featured image: Facebook/Határtalanul 2023
