The Romanian foreign ministry has taken note of Ukraine’s Parliament adoption on 13th December of the law on national ethnic minorities in Ukraine aimed at complementing the Ukrainian legislation on the protection of members of national ethnic minorities. The Romanian foreign office regrets that this law was passed without consulting the Venice Commission, whose opinion would have contributed to ensuring a comprehensive and clear text from the point of view of European legal standards in the field. The Romanian foreign ministry says the law maintains a number of provisions that may have a negative impact, when viewed in relation to the European standards. Among others, the law contains no provision on the use of the mother tongue in courts, and maintains the lack of clarity with respect to the concrete application of the provisions relating to the use of the minorities’ mother tongue in the administration in the areas traditionally inhabited by persons belonging to ethnic minorities. The Romanian side has constantly invoked in its contacts with the Ukrainian side the promise made by the Ukrainian president that ethnic Romanians in Ukraine would enjoy the same treatment as that enjoyed by ethnic Ukrainians in Romania.
Eugen Cojocariu, Radio Romania International
