Between 3rd and 5th September 2025, Vásárosnamény, Hungary hosted the 26th meeting of the Hungarian-Ukrainian transboundary governmental representatives discussing the common transboundary, water management issues of Hungary and Ukraine.
Hungary and Ukraine have been working closely together for many years to ensure the sustainable management of their transboundary waters. Experts from both countries regularly consult on water management issues to ensure the safety of the region’s population and the effective protection of natural resources. The Hungarian delegation was represented by Mr Péter Kovács, the Hungarian Deputy Governmental Commissioner and Chief Technical Advisor of the General Directorate of Water Management (OVF), as Governmental Commissioner, and Mr Sándor Kató, Director of the Upper-Tisza Regional Water Directorate (FETIVIZIG), as Deputy Governmental Commissioner. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Mr Oleg Kiszily, the head of the Tisza River Basin Management Directorate, who is also the Ukrainian transboundary Deputy Governmental Commissioner, as acting Governmental Commissioner.
During the discussions, the authorized governmental commissioners and the expert group leaders finalised the draft protocol prepared in August and reviewed in detail the current water management situation and issues related to the protection of waters against damage.
The heads of the two delegations and the leaders of the expert groups provided detailed information on water management, water quality protection and flood control activities carried out in their areas of competence between December 2023 and September 2025, and reported about their on-going and planned investments. During the discussions, special attention was paid to flood, inland water and drought protection, as well as transboundary cooperation in the fields of hydrology, hydro-meteorology, water management and water quality.
A separate agenda point was the issue of water recharge in border region water systems, in the context of which the Parties informed each other about the work currently underway and discussed further plans and projects aimed at addressing water shortages.
The tasks involved in operating and maintaining the joint Hungarian-Ukrainian hydrographic telemetry system (ÁIR–“Tisza”) were also discussed, with the aim of ensuring the smooth and reliable operation of the system.
At the end of the meeting, the parties reviewed the possibilities for tranboundary cooperation and defined the main objectives of the joint Hungarian-Ukrainian EU applications to be submitted. In addition, they set out further tasks in all relevant areas in order to maintain the current favorable situation and make further joint progress in all areas of water management.
The photo shows Mr Oleg Kiszily, the Ukrainian Governmental Commissioner, and Mr Péter Kovács, the Hungarian Governmental Commissioner
The meeting confirmed the constructive cooperation between Hungary and Ukraine, which serves the implementation of common water management goals and the security and development of border regions. The Parties are committed to maintain dialogue and to promote joint projects in the future.
This is best demonstrated by the fact that the Ukrainian Party also published an article about the above event on its website, which you can read at the following link: https://buvrtysa.gov.ua/newsite/?p=28640
(You can also read it in Hungarian by clicking on the translation icon in the upper right corner.)
18.09.2025
Text: Dr. Katalin Kozma, intern, International Department, OVF
Photo: Upper-Tisza Regional Water Directorate (FETIVIZIG)