21 January 2021, Thursday, 18:50 139

Russia’s PACE Delegation Initiating Debate On Language Issue In Ukraine Following Introduction Of Compulsory Provision Of Customer Services In State Language – MP Honcharenko

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

The Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is initiating a debate on the language issue in Ukraine following the introduction of legislation mandating provision of services to customers in the state language.

Member of Parliament Oleksii Honcharenko (European Solidarity faction) announced this in his Telegram channel, the Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"The Russian delegation to PACE is initiating a debate on the language issue in Ukraine. Their concern is caused by the entry into force of Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine on Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language. In their opinion, a ‘targeted aggressive campaign’ against the Russian language is currently taking place in Ukraine,” Honcharenko wrote, posting a copy of the relevant letter from the Russian delegation’s head Pyotr Tolstoy to PACE’s President Hendrik Daems.

According to the letter, the entry into force of Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine on Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language, which requires all service providers, regardless of their ownership form, to provide services and information about their goods and services to customers in the state language, "is the latest stage in the Ukrainian authorities’ policy of total Ukrainianization of all aspects of public life in the country."

According to the Russian delegation, the Law of Ukraine on Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language, along with the Law on Education and the Law on General Secondary Education, violate Ukraine's obligations under a number of the Council of Europe’s conventions, including the European Convention on Human Rights and others.

"The Russian delegation would like to draw the attention of its PACE colleagues to these violations and urge them to make an adequate assessment of the blatant evidence of violation of the rights of the Russian population of Ukraine," the letter states.

The Russian delegation proposes considering this issue on January 22.

Moreover, according to Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine on Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language, services can also be provided to a client in another language that is acceptable to both parties at the client’s request.

As Ukrainian News Agecy earlier reported, Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine on Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language requires all service providers, regardless of their ownership form, to provide services and information about their goods and services to customers in the state language from January 16.