President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed the law "On National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine".
He told about this in an evening video message.
"We implemented another criterion for our European integration. Additional guarantees for national communities in Ukraine, additional guarantees for our movement into the European Union. We continue our work in implementing the recommendations of the European Commission," Zelenskyy said.
The draft law provides for free textbooks for schoolchildren who belong to national minorities, the possibility to use national minority languages in advertising, events and during the provision of emergency aid, as well as criteria for developing a methodology for the use of national minority languages in settlements, etc.
Bringing the law on national minorities into line with European legislation is one of the requirements for starting negotiations on Ukraineʼs membership in the European Union.
In the explanatory memorandum of draft law No. 9610, the goal is to improve the legislative regulation of the rights and freedoms of national minorities, as enshrined in the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950, the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe on the Protection of National Minorities of 1995, and the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages of 1992.
- In September 2023, in the second reading, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a draft law on amendments to the Law "On National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine".
- On June 23, Ukraine officially became a candidate for membership of the European Union. The European Commission has approved certain conditions that Ukraine must fulfill in order to start official accession negotiations. Candidate status gives Ukraine access to special financial funds of the European Union, at the expense of which reforms in countries are financed so that they meet the criteria necessary for full membership in the EU.