Hungary must fight against violations of the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians and the persecution of Christians, Bence Rétvári told a gathering in Paris on Thursday.
During the 40th General Assembly of UNESCO held in Paris, the parliamentary state secretary said that he gave a briefing on the attacks and deprivations ethnic Hungarians face in Ukraine, citing the education and language laws and the authorities turning a blind eye to attacks against Hungarian institutions, as well as their toleration of anti-Hungarian nationalist marches.
According to MTI, Rétvári called on UNESCO and its member states to make greater efforts to protect the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia in the areas of education and culture.
During his speech, Rétvári said he was confident that Ukraine’s new president may improve the chances of resolving the various problematic issues. He also said that Christianity was the most persecuted religion in the world and Hungary put a premium on taking appropriate action to combat it.
Rétvári also underlined Hungary’s standpoint on migration, namely that help should be delivered to people where they were in need, and he noted Hungarian help to reconstruct and equip schools and hospitals in regions torn apart by conflict.
Hungary’s application for membership of UNESCO’s Executive Council for the period 2019-2023 was also announced.