Russia Urges UN, OSCE To Assess New Ukrainian-Language Education Law - Foreign Ministry

Russia Urges UN, OSCE to Assess New Ukrainian-Language Education Law - Foreign Ministry

Russia has called on the human rights institutions of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe to evaluate a law passed by the Ukrainian parliament on Thursday which limits the extent to which children can receive schooling in the languages of Ukraine's national minorities,

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2020) Russia has called on the human rights institutions of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe to evaluate a law passed by the Ukrainian parliament on Thursday which limits the extent to which children can receive schooling in the languages of Ukraine's national minorities, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

"We regret to note that, despite the recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe to 'ensure the necessary balance' in the language sphere, and the promises of the Ukrainian authorities to fulfill this, nothing has changed in reality. The Russian language continues to be a subject to double discrimination [in Ukraine]," the ministry's statement said.

The statement also outlined that Russia will appeal to leading international organizations to get their assessment of the law, which is still to be signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We urge the international human rights institutions of the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe to provide an adequate assessment of the Ukrainian authorities' actions," the ministry statement read.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law that could significantly limit the use of minority languages, including Russian, in Ukrainian schools.