The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) considers „regrettable” the fact that the law on national minorities in Ukraine was passed in the absence of a new consultation of the Venice Commission, „whose opinion would definitely have contributed to ensure a comprehensive and clear text from the perspective of European legal standards in the matter, including by checking how its previous recommendations are reflected in the normative text”, Agerpres reports.

„Also, it is regrettable that the law was passed in the absence of an adequate consultation of the representatives of the Romanian community in Ukraine, as requested by the Romanian side”, according to a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to Agerpres.

In this context, the MAE requests that the Ukrainian authorities „consult the Venice Commission even at this stage and fully implement its recommendations, considering the fact that the law provides for a period of six months for its entry into force” .

The Romanian Ministry recalls that „Romania fully supports Ukraine’s European path and understands the natural desire to accelerate the process of getting closer to the EU, but points out that the untimely acceleration of the legislative process in this area significantly affected the consultation process with the representatives of national minorities, which should have been one of substance, prior to the adoption of the law”.

The MAE emphasizes that it has repeatedly requested the Ukrainian side to thoroughly consult the Romanian community in Ukraine in the process of drafting and adopting the law.

Basically, according to the representatives of the Romanian ministry, the law represents „an improved variant in relation to the previous projects analyzed at the level of the Ukrainian legislature”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that it will continue the coordination with the representatives of the Romanian community and the sustained dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities to ensure the full respect and promotion of the identity rights of ethnic Romanians, including on the basis of the international obligations assumed by Ukraine in the matter, which the law expressly recognizes as priority.

„The Romanian side has constantly invoked in the contacts with the Ukrainian side the promise of the president of Ukraine according to which the people belonging to the Romanian community in Ukraine will benefit from the same treatment that the people belonging to the Ukrainian community benefit from in Romania”, the MAE points out.

Agerpres