Issuance of Hungarian passports to Ukrainian citizens a challenge to national security - Klimkin

"The distribution of citizenship itself is prohibited by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. They should do what we allow in our territory. This is a challenge to our national security. When the consul tells you to hide it there under the table, show one passport here and another there - this is, in fact, to some extent an attempt of mockery," Klimkin said on the 1+1 television channel.

He stressed that the demonstration of various passports to representatives of the Hungarian and Ukrainian authorities is a call for violation of Ukrainian legislation and manipulation. "Many people think that the problem in this video is the distribution of citizenship. The problem lies in this call. We have never allowed the Hungarians to do this in our territory, but the question is that we must be present there. We have to carry out a policy towards our Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian descent. When Hungary supports only 22,000 local entrepreneurs, which is almost one in five, then the question arises as to what we have done in terms of a consistent policy," the diplomat said.

On September 20, Ukrinform published a video showing how Hungarian passports are issued to citizens of Ukraine at the Hungarian Consulate in Berehove, Zakarpattia region. The procedure was accompanied by a glass of champagne in honor of receiving a second citizenship and instructions for Ukrainians to conceal the fact of obtaining Hungarian citizenship from the Ukrainian authorities. 

Subsequently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin promised to meet with his Hungarian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and talk with him about the issuance of Hungarian passports to citizens of Ukraine in Zakarpattia region. The foreign minister also hinted that the Hungarian consul in Berehove could be expelled from Ukraine.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that after the scandal with the publication of the video the Hungarians could take new steps to slow Ukraine's integration into the EU.

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