FUEN delegation led by President Loránt Vincze travelled to Kiev for a two-day visit focusing on the situation of national minorities in Ukraine. On Wednesday, March 22 a round-table discussion with the minority representatives from the Ukraine took place hosted by Mr. László Brenzovics, president of the Transcarpatian Cultural Organization of Hungarians (KMKSZ). In the afternoon, the FUEN delegation was invited to the meeting of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on human rights, national minorities and interethnic relations led by Chairman Nemyria Hryhoriy. 

President Vincze was accompanied by Vice President Halit Habipoglu, Speaker of the Turkish working group (TAG), Bernard Gaida, Speaker of the German Working group (AGDM) and Melek Kirmaci Arik, TAG Coordinator, International Secretary at ABTTF. The European Centre for Minority Issues was also represented by head of office in Kiev Natalia Mekhokol.

President Vincze told the participants that Europe and the FUEN both follow with great interest and concern the evolutions in Ukraine. “The continuously challenged legislative framework does not help in creating constructive environment for minorities, instead it leads to uncertainty and it raises concerns from international organizations, kin-states and NGOs” – he said, emphasizing that minority rights do not have any negative effect on the majority, on the contrary, they create a favourable atmosphere for the development of society and economy – as it did in the German–Danish border region and South Tyrol in Italy.

Mr. Vincze noted that young democracies such as the Ukrainian need to make an effort to learn the lessons from the past as part of a healing process for the entire society, recognizing that the rule of law and a comprising human and minority rights protection system cannot be built overnight, and recent geopolitical evolutions are not at all helping in this sense. “Nevertheless we need to recognize the right of the Ukrainian majority and of the state to protect the state language and strengthen the national identity. Promoting minority rights and building-up the Ukrainian identity and promotion of the language do not exclude one another. On the contrary: they can support each other, and create a better climate in the society.” – he explained.

During the meeting FUEN Vice President Halit Habip Oglu stated: “It is our first visit to Kiev, but we hope that this will not be the last. We are here today to listen to you and learn more about the situation of minorities in Ukraine. We all represent different minority groups in different parts of Europe but we have many similar problems regarding the protection of our rights. We want to establish stronger bonds with the member organizations to understand their present concerns in the countries they live in and we would like to provide more space for them to raise their voices on an international level”. 

On behalf of the FUEN President Loránt Vincze invited the representatives of the minority organizations to prepare a common resolution about their objectives for the upcoming FUEN Congress in Cluj-Napoca / Kolozsvár / Klausenburg, Romania, offered support to organize a meeting of the minority representatives from Ukraine in a European surrounding, and he encouraged the member organizations to jointly apply to organize the 2019 FUEN Congress in the Ukraine.