Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Sych meets with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

A working meeting of Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Oleksandr Sych with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors was held on April 2, 2014.

During the meeting the sides discussed the mechanisms of ensuring the rights of ethnic groups in Ukraine. Particular attention was paid to the preparation of a balanced language legislation that can consolidate Ukrainian society on the basis of integrating the role of Ukrainian language as the state language and the full development of languages of national minorities living in Ukraine.

The OSCE High Commissioner stressed the need to involve all concerned parties in the preparation of appropriate amendments to existing legislation.

Oleksandr Sych assured the OSCE High Commissioner in the readiness of the Government to full cooperation with the Parliament in the preparation of balanced language legislation. "As a result of the meeting of experts under the Vice Prime Minister it has been prepared recommendations of central authorities to the bill, on which temporary special parliamentary commission headed by Vice Speaker Ruslan Koshulynskyi operates. The final word by Parliament, which will accumulate, in particular, the vision of executive bodies," Oleksandr Sych said.

Vice Prime Minister praised the efforts of the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and personally Astrid Thors on detection and prevention of ethnic conflicts in Ukraine.

Among other issues, the parties discussed the steps that the Government has to take in connection with the support of the Crimean Tatars as an indigenous people of Ukraine as well as the formation of inter-ethnic harmony in accordance with the instructions of the Head of Government.