Yushchenko Against Making Russian The 2nd State Language

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko opposes assigning the state language status to the Russian language. Yushchenko made the respective statement during the news conference held in Kiev on Thursday.

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Kiev December 27, 2007.
Asked by reporter how he would vote on the referendum for making Russian the second state language, the president said: “I would vote ‘no’ of course, as I refer myself to the citizens that respect provisions of the current Constitution, which spells out that there is a single state language in Ukraine and this language is Ukrainian.”

“Every state and every nation acts accordingly,” Yushchenko pointed out.

At the same time, Yushchenko emphasized that, in Ukraine, they respect the rights of all national minorities, the principles of the European Charter for regional languages and for languages of national minorities.

The country pursues a liberal language policy that corresponds to Europe’s standards, the president assured.

Source: Kommersant