If the Ukrainian government moves to expel the Hungarian consul in Berehove (Beregszász), Hungary will retaliate by expelling a Ukrainian one, Péter Szijjártó said in New York in connection with his talks with Pavlo Klimkin, his Ukrainian counterpart, on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Last week Klimkin said he would not rule out expelling the Hungarian consul from the country after hidden camera footage showing the diplomat conducting a Hungarian citizenship oath-taking ceremony for Ukrainian citizens at the consulate appeared online.

“The Ukrainian side’s claim … that granting Hungarian citizenship to those living in Transcarpathia is some kind of violation of international law is false and deceitful,” Szijjártó said. He said Ukraine was the country in violation of international law by “repeatedly curbing the acquired rights of its minorities”.

Hungary’s government will stick to its policy of blocking Ukraine’s aspirations of European or Euro-Atlantic integration until it changes its “policy of inciting hatred towards Hungarians”, he said.