President Novák has said in an interview that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "ready to grant Ukraine's Hungarians the rights ethnic Ukrainians enjoy in Hungary."
During her recent visit to Kyiv, President Novák urged “meaningful steps” to be taken concerning the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians. President Novák told the news portal Index that her visit had afforded her an extensive tête-à-tête with her Ukrainian counterpart, their first, and he had thanked her for Hungary’s help and hailed the perseverance of Transcarpathian Hungarians. The two countries, she said, had a mutual interest in granting full minority rights to the ethnic Hungarian community. “We do not need highfalutin phrases … ethnic Ukrainians in Hungary enjoy a wide range of [minority] rights and that is quite right,” Novák said. Zelensky, she added, reassuring her that Ukraine was ready to grant the same rights to ethnic Hungarians. Concerning the war in Ukraine, Novák urged peace talks, saying that she saw no military solution that could ensure peace in the long run. Referring to Zelensky’s “peace initiative”, she said it was important that “Hungary should participate in any movement that brings peace closer; I indicated our readiness to join the negotiations, which the Ukrainian president welcomed.”
While in Kyiv, President Novák met the prime minister of Moldova and discussed the latter country’s endeavours to join the European Union. During the talks, Novák said, “while Moldova’s and Ukraine’s candidate membership status is important to Hungary, it must not hinder the integration of Western Balkans countries that have long been waiting.” She also said, “later entrants are always required to produce more than founding members.” Novák also said she had met the prime minister of Finland, who thanked her for Hungary’s support for Finland’s NATO entry.
Concerning a recent visit to the Vatican, Novák said the focus of her talks with Pope Francis had been “how we could promote a desire for peace in those that live further away from the conflict”. She said Francis considered female leaders instrumental, and that the pontiff “personally relies” on her in promoting peace. In Rome, Novák had informal talks with Georgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, and saw eye-to-eye regarding the dangers of illegal migration, and concluded that “we won’t have a future in the long run unless Christian culture is protected.” Referring to Meloni, Novák said she was a prime minister that “considers us a friend, an ally”.
Concerning a recent visit to the Vatican, Novák said the focus of her talks with Pope Francis had been “how we could promote a desire for peace in those that live further away from the conflict”. She said Francis considered female leaders instrumental, and that the pontiff “personally relies” on her in promoting peace. In Rome, Novák had informal talks with Georgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, and saw eye-to-eye regarding the dangers of illegal migration, and concluded that “we won’t have a future in the long run unless Christian culture is protected.” Referring to Meloni, Novák said she was a prime minister that “considers us a friend, an ally”.