21 February 2016, 08:00
Dear compatriots,
I congratulate you on the International Mother Language Day!
Ukraine is a multinational and multi-language country. Except for the Ukrainian and Russian ones, we do speak Crimean Tatar, Moldovan, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Armenian, Georgian, and other languages. All of them do enrich the culture of the Ukrainian people and the whole world. Hence it is a must for us to protect them.
This year's International Mother Language Day is dedicated to its use at schools. The UNESCO notes that studying in mother language provides access to education for indigenous people and ethnic minorities. Thus, it is very important that Ukraine has schools teaching in Crimean Tatar, Moldovan, Romanian, Hungarian, and Polish languages.
I wish Ukrainian citizens to always be open to other cultures and value every language as a unique asset of the humankind.
Volodymyr GROYSMAN