On Thursday, Minister of State for Churches, Minorities and Civil Affairs Miklós Soltész said that last week’s municipality elections in the Transcarpathian region were a success to the ethnic Hungarian minority there, due to the cooperation of the two organizations of the Hungarian minority coupled with the support of churches, NGOs and the Government of Hungary.
Mr. Soltész was the first high-ranking Hungarian official to visit the Ukrainian region after the elections. On the first day of his visit, he met President of the Hungarian Cultural Federation in Transcarpathia (KMKSZ) László Brenzovics and other leaders of the organization in Ungvár (Uzhhorod), Head of the Hungarian Teachers’ Federation in Transcarpathia (KMPSZ) and of the II. Rákóczi Ferenc Hungarian College in Beregszász (Berehovo) Ildikó Orosz.
During the meeting, the hosts informed the Minister about the situation of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia with emphasis on the electoral success that reinforced their stance, and they discussing issues which required the help of Hungary and the Government of Hungary. At a press conference following the meeting, Mr. Soltész said that the cooperation of the two Hungarian associations was key to the success: “The cooperation of KMKSZ and the Hungarian Democratic Party in Ukraine (UMDSZ) shows that unity can help a community in overcoming its difficulties”.
Mr. Soltész said that the election result means that representatives of the Hungarians will have a direct say in the everyday running of affairs at the local, county and regional level, hopefully contributing to keeping Hungarians in their native land.
Mr. Soltész also pointed out that Hungarian-Ukrainian relations have been improving, mainly due to good cooperation in delivering humanitarian aid to the Transcarpathian region and the inner regions of Ukraine. He said that the two nations are co-dependent and must seek all avenues to reinforce their ties.
Mr. Soltész said that KMKSZ officials also asked Hungary’s assistance in supporting Hungarian education and healthcare in Transcarpathia, as well as in facilitating Transcarpathian children’s vacations in Hungary. The Minister of State also met religious and charity organization leaders in Munkács (Mukacheve) and UMDSZ leaders László Zubánics and Zoltán Babják in Beregszász (Berehovo).