Council adopts law on educational rights of national minorities — negotiations with the EU have been unblocked.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft law on the educational rights of national minorities in the first and final readings: with 273 votes in favor, and 266 votes in favor overall. The document is intended to implement the agreements between Kyiv and Budapest regarding the educational, cultural, and linguistic rights of the Hungarians of Zakarpattia. According to MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, this has unblocked the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted the draft law on the educational rights of national minorities in the first and final readings. The draft law was supported by 273 deputies, and passed in its entirety by 266. This was reported by People's Deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak.
The document is aimed at fulfilling the agreements between Kyiv and Budapest regarding the guarantee of educational, cultural, and linguistic rights for the Hungarians of Zakarpattia. It establishes additional educational opportunities for representatives of national minorities and is part of the state's commitments to European integration.
The approval of the initiative by the relevant committee and parliament has enabled the resumption of negotiations regarding Ukraine's accession to the European Union. In the spring of 2025, Ukraine and Hungary agreed on regular consultations to address issues related to the rights of national minorities. Subsequently, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Peter Magyar, announced the achievement of agreements regarding the expansion of educational, cultural, and political rights for Hungarians in Zakarpattia, after which the Hungarian side agreed to open the second and third negotiation clusters regarding Ukraine's membership in the EU.