Klimkin promises constructive cooperation with Hungarian community in Zakarpattia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has assured that Ukraine is committed to constructive cooperation with the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia region, western Ukraine.

He stated this during a joint press conference with Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"We need to solve all the issues in order to help our Hungarian community ... We need to seize the initiative – if it is necessary we should work with Hungary, and if we can we should resolve issues by ourselves. In the near future I will go again to Zakarpattia region to meet not only with the Hungarian community, but also with the Slovak and Romanian communities," Klimkin said.

The minister stressed that the issue of expulsion of the Hungarian consul in the town of Berehove in Zakarpattia region had been already resolved, and he must leave Ukraine within 72 hours.

At the same time, he assured that it was necessary to hold consultations with Hungary on how the full range of consular services would be carried out.

The foreign minister stressed that Ukraine did not intend to worsen relations with Hungary; however, Ukraine needed "to promote its national interests very strictly, consistently and constructively in Zakarpattia region."

As reported, on October 4, the Hungarian consul in the town of Berehove in Zakarpattia region was declared persona non grata.

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