Romanian President cancels visit to Ukraine due to a controversial education law
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis cancels visit to Ukraine due to the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of the new law on educationaccording to which education in 2020 in the country will be fully Ukrainian.
This was reported by the Romanian news Agency Agerpres on Thursday evening, September 21.
“When I heard about this law, I canceled his visit to Ukraine. I also canceled the appointment of the Chairman of the Parliament, the meeting was scheduled for the end of September,” – said the President of Romania.
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He noted that the new Ukrainian law “will sharply limit the access of minorities to education in their mother tongue”.
“I will not visit (to Ukraine – Ed.) until then, until progress has been made in respect of the education act,” said Klaus Iohannis.
Recall, September 5 during a meeting of the Rada adopted the law of Ukraine “On education”, which introduced the 12-year secondary education. The language of instruction in educational institutions determined by the state. The document envisages that the institutions can be taught one or more courses in two or more languages – the state language, English and also in other official languages of the European Union.
Persons who belong to indigenous peoples and national minorities of Ukraine is guaranteed the right to education in their native language along with the Ukrainian language in public institutions of preschool and General secondary education.
Romania and Hungary criticized the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on education, believing that it violates the rights of national minorities in Ukraine. Statements with respect to Ukrainian law by the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the two countries.
In turn, the President of Moldova Igor Dodon hopes that Ukraine will reject the new education act because of the violation of the rights of national minorities. According to him, the new education Act will lead to the abolition of the system of education in the native language of the ethno-cultural minorities in Ukraine.
Subsequently, in Russia, this law called “an act of forced Ukrainianization, which constituted a flagrant violation of Ukraine ratified the European Charter for regional or minority languages”. “The state Duma” the Russian Federation has prepared a statement in relation to the Ukrainian law on education, in which he condemned adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of the document. The Russian foreign Ministry stressed that the document infringes on the interests of millions of Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine.