BERLIN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Tuesday that technical negotiations regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine are progressing positively, and that he is ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky early next week.
The newly elected Hungarian leader made the remarks during his inaugural visit to Berlin at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Merz called for closer cooperation to strengthen Europe's competitiveness and defense, while urging the new Hungarian government's support in opening the first chapter of EU accession talks with Kiev.
Restoring economic confidence was also a focal point of the talks. Magyar emphasized that his government's top priorities are combating corruption and ensuring judicial independence.
He promised a "level playing field" to attract further investment from Germany.
Under former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, relations between Hungary and Ukraine remained strained due to Budapest's close ties with Russia and disputes over oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline. In February, Orban blocked the EU's 20th sanctions package against Russia and a planned 90-billion-euro (106-billion-U.S. dollar) military loan to Ukraine, citing Kiev's suspension of crude oil deliveries.
Just over a week after Magyar's Tisza Party won the parliamentary elections on 12 April, Zelensky announced that repairs to the Druzhba pipeline had been completed. Oil transit through the pipeline has since resumed. ■