Ukraine’s parliament passes language law

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament has passed as a whole a draft law on the Ukrainian language, which provides for the mandatory use of the national language by government agencies, local self-government and in other spheres of public life.

Corresponding bill No. 5670-d on ensuring the use of Ukrainian as the national language passed its second reading and was generally supported by 278 lawmakers at a plenary session of the parliament on April 25.

The law defines persons who are obliged to speak the national language and use it while performing official duties.

Among them are: - leaders of the state, lawmakers; - judges, prosecutors; - employees of the National Bank of Ukraine; - officers who are in military service under the contract; - teachers, doctors of state and municipal health care institutions.

This law is not applicable to the sphere of private communication and religious ceremonies.

The law further provides that every citizen of Ukraine is obliged to speak Ukrainian as the language of his or her citizenship. It is noted that the state shall organize Ukrainian language courses for adults and provides an opportunity for citizens of Ukraine to learn the national language free if they had not this opportunity.

This law comes into force one month from the date of its publication, except for a number of provisions whose entry is postponed for several years. According to the law, a person seeking Ukrainian citizenship is obliged to pass a Ukrainian language test.

However, individuals who perform military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and are given a state award and those whose citizenship of Ukraine is of state interest for the country has the right to acquire Ukrainian citizenship without taking the language test, but are obliged to master it within one year from the date they are granted Ukraine's citizenship.