The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has taken a decisive step towards the country's European integration by adopting in general the law on the educational rights of national minorities. This decision is a key prerequisite for the state's further advancement on the path of European integration and the opening of subsequent strategic negotiation stages with the European Union.
Path to European Integration and Parliamentary Vote
The parliamentary corps supported bill No. 16119, which regulates education issues for national communities living on the territory of Ukraine. During the roll-call vote, the initiative was backed by 266 members of parliament. Immediately after the vote, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada was officially instructed to sign the adopted document without delay and send it for final approval to the President of Ukraine.
Language Balance and Exclusion of the Russian Language
According to the adopted legislative amendments, the Ukrainian language continues to remain invariably the sole state language of the educational process throughout the country. The new rules apply exclusively to the languages of national minorities that are simultaneously official languages of European Union member states. It is important to note that the Russian language is not included in this list and receives no preferences.
Significance for EU Negotiation Clusters
The adoption of this law acts as a strict and necessary condition for the full unblocking of European integration processes. Thanks to this decision, Ukraine gains a realistic opportunity to open the second and third negotiation clusters during the upcoming intergovernmental conference, which will significantly accelerate the country's rapprochement with European standards.
