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Ukraine Foreign Ministry Accuses Hungary of Meddling in Kiev's Affairs Ahead of Election

KIEV (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday accused Hungarian authorities of interfering in Kiev's domestic affairs and called on Hungarian officials to refrain from further visits to Transcarpathia until the Ukrainian parliamentary election is completed.
Sputnik

"At the meeting with Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine Istvan Ijgyarto in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine [deputy minister] Yegor Bozhok expressed concern about the latest actions of the Hungarian authorities, which have clear signs of interference in Ukraine's domestic political life", the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry clarified that it was concerned about visits by Hungarian officials to Ukraine's western Zakarpattia Region and public statements by Hungarians in support of some candidates for seats in the Ukrainian parliament.

According to the ministry, earlier in the day, the head of the Hungarian Prime Minister's office, Gergely Gulyas, made an informal visit to the region's Uzhhorod district using his diplomatic passport, ignoring Kiev's previous recommendations.

"We consider such actions of the Hungarian side as a violation of the diplomatic canons and the spirit of good-neighborliness. The Ukrainian side reserves the right to take steps to prevent Hungary's interference in Ukraine's internal affairs", it stressed.

Ukrainian-Hungarian relations deteriorated over Kiev's 2017 education law, which restricted the right's of children of minorities in the nation to study in their native languages.

In September 2018, tensions escalated further over reports that the Ukrainian consulate in Berehove, a city located in the Zakarpattia Region near the Hungarian border, had issued Hungarian passports for Ukrainian citizens.

Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship. The move prompted Kiev to expel the Hungarian consul from the country, and Hungary responded in kind.

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