28.09.2017, Ukraine.
Ukraine may revise the language standards of the Education Act after discussing them with European partners, the President of Ukraine Pyotr Poroshenko said on September 28 at a meeting with education workers, TASS reports.
“The new Education Act must bring Ukraine closer to Europe rather than alienate it. It is my understanding that, according to my order, the Ministry of Education has already contacted the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission. I would appreciate it very much if our Minister ensured that we are not passive but that we actively defend our vision of the mandatory rights of national minorities. I also emphasize that the results of these discussions may be taken into consideration in a new revision of the secondary education part as well,” the President said. He added that the State Duma’s opinion on this subject will not affect his decisions.
“When signing acts that support the Ukrainian language I ensure that a wide room is left for other languages spoken by Ukrainian nationals. Of course, we must not, and we will not pay any attention to the State Duma’s statements,” he said.
A scandalous Education Act passed by the Verkhovnaya Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian Parliament) on September 5 this year met a negative reaction in the neighboring countries. For example, in Hungary, it was found “shameful”. In the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Act was called “an act of genocide against the Russian people in Ukraine”. In Romania, a protest was held in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest; the protesters demanded that Poroshenko should revoke the Act.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
