Hungary’s first Hungarian-Ukrainian dual-language elementary and high school has opened in Budapest.
The school’s inauguration “is a historic moment”, Liliana Grexa, the Ukrainian national minority MP, said after the countries’ respective national anthems were sung at the event on Saturday, and she thanked the House of Ukrainian Traditions for setting up the school.
She said Levente Magyar, the foreign affairs parliamentary state secretary, was among those who helped to advance Hungary-Ukraine relations to the point that opening the school in Budapest became possible.
Fully, 350 children have applied for places at the school and the number is expected to rise during the year, she added. The school has 450 places.
The chance to study in both languages will help in students’ integration while at the same time preserving their native language and culture, Viktor Mikita, the governor of Transcarpathia, told MTI, noting that the school initiative was part of a diplomacy package agreed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Interestingly, no Hungarian government officials were present at the ceremony.
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