12 Oct 2017 17:43

Ukraine is ready for dialogue on education law, but not for ultimatums - PM

KYIV. Oct 12 (Interfax) - Kyiv is ready for dialogue in the context of the law On Education, but it will not allow anyone to speak with it in the language of ultimatums, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said.

"The law on Ukrainian education is not a law against someone, it's a law about the quality of education for Ukrainian children, regardless of what ethnic minority they represent, and therefore I reiterate that we are open to constructive dialogue, we respect all our partners, neighbors, friends, but we will not give anyone the right to use ultimatums when talking to us," he said on the 112 Ukraine television channel during a visit to the Cherkassy region on Thursday.

Ukraine is a tolerant country, which respects all ethnic minorities, but Ukraine needs to make efforts to develop the Ukrainian language, Groysman said.

According to earlier reports, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on October 12 adopted a resolution stating that provisions of the Ukrainian law On Education do not provide a balance between the official language and the languages of ethnic minorities and recommended that Ukraine fully take into account conclusions drawn with respect to this document by the Venice Commission.