“In three weeks we managed to achieve what [former Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán couldn’t do in 10 years,” Magyar said. Orbán’s government fiercely opposed Ukraine’s EU accession, ostensibly over minority rights for Hungarians living in Ukraine.
Magyar said Kyiv had agreed to translate the negotiated measures into Ukrainian law “in the near future.”
“If this happens,” the prime minister said, Hungary would support opening the first negotiating cluster in Ukraine’s EU accession talks, a key milestone in the country’s membership bid.
But Magyar appeared to hose down fast-tracking EU entry for Kyiv, pointedly saying: “If Ukraine manages to close all 33 [chapters of the EU accession negotiations] within 10 or 15 years, our country will hold a referendum on the issue.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha said: “Thank you to the Cyprus Presidency for its leadership in advancing Ukraine’s EU accession process. My gratitude goes to all EU Member States, the European Commission, and EU institutions for their unwavering support. I also appreciate Hungary’s constructive engagement. We are opening a new chapter in Ukraine-Hungary relations — one built on mutual respect, trust, and our shared European future.”
Magyar’s announcement followed weeks of expert-level talks involving Hungarian and Ukrainian officials, and after POLITICO reported on Tuesday that a deal was imminent.