UKRAINE-LANGUAGE-CONGRESS

Kyiv, July 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) condemns “the so-called adoption” of the bill on the principles of state language policy, and calls on the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych not to sign the document.

A statement published on the Web site of the UWC reads that the passing of the language bill by the Verkhovna Rada is “another glaring example of the gradual abandonment by the governing authorities of the democratic principles of governance.”

The language bill poses a serious threat to the future development of the Ukrainian language and raises doubts about its role as the sole state language of Ukraine, reads the statement.

According to UWC, the document contradicts that Constitution of Ukraine, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which provide that regional languages and the languages of minorities should not be promoted at the expense of the state language.

“The draft law, and earlier drafts, were repeatedly criticized by a broad spectrum of the Ukrainian public and prominent international institutions, including the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission),” reads the statement of the congress.

The UWC is deeply disturbed by these troubling events and appeals to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to refrain from signing this bill on the language issue.

The UWC also calls upon the international Ukrainian community to express solidarity with Ukrainians in defense of the Ukrainian language and fundamental democratic principles in Ukraine.

[UA EUROPE EEU EMRG POL]

ZA

09:39:52 EET-2