Moscow Condemns Expulsion Of Russian Language From Latvian Public Life - Foreign Ministry

Russia condemns the Latvian governments plans to ban usage of any language except Latvian in the education system, thus expelling the Russian language from the countrys public life, Russian Foreign Ministrys spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

SVETLOGORSK (Russia) (UrduPoint news / Sputnik - 15th August, 2018) Russia condemns the Latvian governments plans to ban usage of any language except Latvian in the education system, thus expelling the Russian language from the countrys public life, Russian Foreign Ministrys spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

In early July, Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis approved amendments to the education law, which were adopted by the parliament on June 21. Under the new legislation, Latvian private colleges and universities are to use Latvian as the sole language of instruction starting from January 1, 2019. A foreign language will be only used in cultural exchange programs and language courses.

"We believe that today one of the most urgent issues is expulsion of the Russian language from all spheres of public life.

I am primarily speaking about Latvia where there are plans to fully switch school education to the Latvian language � These discriminating measures are strongly condemned by the Russian side," Zakharova said at a youth forum in the western Russian town of Svetlogorsk.

The spokeswoman added that the Latvian authorities plans were aimed at assimilation of the Russian-speaking population of the country.

The only state language in Latvia is Latvian, while all other languages, including Russian, have the status of foreign languages. Russian-speaking residents have repeatedly protested against the governments plan to force the schools of ethnic minorities to switch to the Latvian language.

About 40 percent out of about 2 million residents of Latvia are Russian-speaking.