Hungary welcomes Ukrainian parliament’s condemnation of Soviet repression

The ministry said Soviet occupation authorities during that period arrested and deported tens of thousands of Hungarian- and German-speaking men ages 18 to 50 deep into the Soviet Union.

They were sent to forced labor and thousands died because of the harsh conditions in which they were held and forced to work.

The Hungarian ministry said the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) vote was an important step toward honoring the victims, examining the Soviet past, and establishing the historical truth.

Budapest also said it was ready to cooperate with Ukraine in further researching the events and preserving the memory of those who suffered.

Earlier the same day, the Rada approved the statement recognizing and condemning the crimes of the Soviet military administration in Zakarpattia from 1944 to 1946 by a vote of 261-0. Hungary’s parliament also welcomed the decision while again raising the issue of implementing agreements on the rights of national minorities.