Kuleba: Ukraine is not set for political war with Hungary

Ukraine is not set for political war with Hungary, but this neighboring country should respect Ukraine’s national legislation and national interests.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with the RBC-Ukraine news agency, he is trying to solve problems in relations with Hungary for three reasons.

"First, it is an important neighbor in Central Europe, and we are also part of this area, we need to have good relations with our neighbors. Second, it is a NATO member state, and we would like to have normal cooperation with Hungary in Euro-Atlantic integration. Third, it is a member state of the European Union, whose position is also important to us," the diplomat said.

At the same time, Kuleba noted that it is possible to solve these issues, existing problems and to build an ambitious future under two conditions: when both parties respect each other's legislation and national interests. According to Kuleba, respect for each other's interests is a space where "a lot of interpretations" take place.

"Nobody is set for political war with Hungary. But Hungary should also respect our national legislation and national interests," he said.

As reported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine summoned Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine István Íjgyártó, handed over a note of protest against the illegal political campaigning of Hungarian officials in favor of one of the political parties in Ukraine’s local elections on October 25 and banned two high-ranking Hungarian officials from entering Ukraine due to campaigning in Zakarpattia region during the election process.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Péter Szijjártó said that Ukraine thus rejected Hungary's support for its Euro-Atlantic integration efforts.

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