REUTERS

Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine István Íjgyártó says blocking Ukraine-NATO Commission meetings at high level does not impede Ukraine's integration into the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO).

The official says allegations that Hungary is blocking Ukraine's accession to NATO are untrue, according to an UNIAN correspondent reporting from the international discussion titled on Ukraine-Hungary relations held on September 25.

According to Íjgyártó, Budapest is blocking developments only at the political level within one institution, the so-called Ukraine-NATO Commission, in particular, the meetings above the level of ambassadors.

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The ambassador stressed that the actions by the Hungarian side do not prevent Ukraine from preparing for integration into the Alliance at the military and political levels.

Read alsoCabinet seeing no readiness in Hungary to go for concessions on NATO-Ukraine cooperation

As UNIAN reported earlier, relations between the two countries slid to a chill after the Ukrainian parliament in 2017 passed a new education law. Hungary has since been blocking the meetings of Ukraine-NATO Commission, claiming alleged violation of rights of Hungarians living in Ukraine due to the provision of the law that determines that the language of command in educational facilities shall be the state language, which is Ukrainian.

According to the conclusion of the Venice Commission of Dec 8, 2017, Ukrainian authorities were recommended to balance the provision of the language article of Law "On Education".

On February 14, 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers approved Bill No. 8046, prolonging the transitional period for the implementation of the language article until 2023. The draft law is being considered by parliamentary committees.