Hungary stands ready to transport gas into Ukraine and the technical means for doing so are at its disposal, Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared after meeting Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Danylo Lubkivsky on April 10.
János Martonyi confirmed that as a neighbouring country, Ukraine has been a partner of outstanding significance ever since becoming an independent state. The Hungarian Foreign Minister expressed concern about the developments in Ukraine's east over the past few days. He underlined the message expressed on numerous occasions by the heads of state and government of European Union member states that any further escalation of the confict could carry grave consequences with an impact on relations between the EU and Russia.
Minister Martonyi noted that the Hungarian government feels a keen sense of responsibility towards Hungarians in western Ukraine, especially in terms of their safety and livelihoods in their homeland.
Danylo Lubkivsky said that the Ukrainian side greatly appreciated Hungary's "unwavering position in connection with Ukraine". He said that when formulating regulations on minority language use, every caution would be employed and European norms observed.
After the meeting the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that Hungary firmly supported Ukraine's territorial integrity. Hungary supports the Ukrainian government's efforts towards stabilisation and emphasises its standpoint that Russia's annexation of Crimea is illegitimate and illegal, the statement said.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
