Russia's Lavrov To Discuss Russian-Speaking People's Status In Ukraine With OSCE Official

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will discuss the status of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine and the Baltic republics with High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Lamberto Zannier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2019) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will discuss the status of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine and the Baltic republics with High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Lamberto Zannier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

Zannier is set to visit Russia from June 22-26.

"On July 23, Mr. Zannier will be received by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They are expected to discuss the deteriorating status of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine and the Baltic countries," Zakharova said.

During his visit, the high commissioner will also meet with the leadership of the Russian parliament and the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, countries like Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia began pursuing various forms of discrimination against their Russian-speaking citizens. In Ukraine, especially after the change of power in 2014, the authorities have been pursuing discriminatory policies aimed at discouraging the populace from using the Russian language. In Baltic countries, such policies are especially harsh, making it very hard to find employment or get an education.