NATO Chief Says Ukraine Must Protect Minority Languages

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine, as a NATO partner, should respect the linguistic rights of its ethnic minority population, at a press conference in Kiev on Thursday

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st October, 2019) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine, as a NATO partner, should respect the linguistic rights of its ethnic minority population, at a press conference in Kiev on Thursday.

The Atlantic Council failed on Wednesday to adopt a joint statement on Ukraine, the host of the meeting, after it was vetoed by Hungary, which said the document had omitted its demand that Ukraine reinstates the linguistic rights of its 150,000-strong ethnic Hungarian population.

"I have repeatedly expressed the importance of minority rights. All allies agree that Ukraine should fully implement Venice Commission recommendations," Stoltenberg told reporters.

The Venice Commission, which is the Council of Europe's advisory body, criticized an education law that was enacted in 2017. The legislature drastically reduced the use of minority languages in Ukrainian schools, especially Russian, which is not an official EU language. Ukraine aspires to join the bloc.