BERLIN, November 10. /TASS/. Hungary supports opening EU accession negotiations with Moldova and several Western Balkan countries, as it believes they are ready, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said at a press conference in Berlin following talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
"In my view, a negotiating chapter or cluster should only be opened when the country in question is truly ready. It is clear that Moldova, for instance, is prepared, as are a number of Western Balkan nations," Magyar said, without mentioning Ukraine.
"I am aware of the 'linkage' between Ukraine and Moldova - that is, the fact that they are tied to one another in this process," the Prime Minister noted, recalling that both countries were granted candidate status simultaneously.
However, he urged to "be honest" and acknowledge that "accession must be based on the individual achievements of each country."
"Only in this way can we maintain trust in the EU enlargement process, while ensuring its transparency and reliability," Magyar explained.
He gave assurances that "if any country is ready for accession, Hungary will certainly not stand in its way." "We understand that, given the current complex and highly unstable international security environment, admitting these states is in the interest of the European Union itself. After all, where the European Union is absent, other players will inevitably emerge," the Prime Minister concluded.
Last summer, the new Hungarian government dropped its objections to the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. This followed a pledge by the Ukrainian authorities to restore the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Transcarpathia. Budapest and Kiev reached an agreement on this matter, which was incorporated into Ukraine’s EU accession plan.
Nevertheless, Magyar has repeatedly warned that Hungary opposes the accelerated admission of Ukraine to the European Union, insisting that the same requirements must be applied to Ukraine as to any other candidate. He also noted that negotiations with Ukraine could be halted if the country fails to fulfill its obligations toward Hungary. Furthermore, the Prime Minister stated that Ukraine cannot join the EU at present because it is "at war" with Russia.