The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) has sent an official letter to Dmytro Razumkov, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU), about the necessity of the law on mandatory film screenings and cultural and artistic events in the state language to enter into force. This letter has also been sent to the heads of parliamentary factions of the 9th convocation of the VRU, the Chairman of the VRU Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy as well as the State Language Protection Commissioner.
The UWC pays special attention to the development and establishment of the Ukrainian language as a foundation of Ukrainian identity and unity of all Ukrainians, regardless of their country of residence, and it also actively supported the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language” in 2019.
On behalf of the UWC, President Paul Grod noted the positive steps already taken to strengthen the status of Ukrainian as the state language and increase the role of the Ukrainian language in public space on the territory of Ukraine. At the same time, the need for continued implementation of planned norms of the given law was emphasized as was the impossibility of postponing this process. The continuation of the language policy provided by the active law is a necessary element in counteracting and overcoming lasting Russification of the Ukrainian territory.
“Recognizing the impact that television has on the formation of informational and cultural space, we urge you personally and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to not support the bills of individual deputies to delay the entry into force of the law on mandatory film screenings and cultural and artistic events in the state language,” the official letter states.
