The new Ukrainian education draft law is a setback regarding mother tongue education, ignoring the concerns expressed by representatives of national minorities – pointed out Csaba Sógor, adding that apparently the Ukrainian Government has not read the conclusions of the most recent European Council meeting on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which emphasizes that the principles of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights should be respected in the country.

The discussions on the conclusions of the December 15^th European Council meeting took place during the European Parliament’s Strasbourg plenary session of Wednesday. The conclusions include the signature of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and the completion of the ratification process. In this context, leaders of the 28 Member States have adopted a decision according to which the principles of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights form an essential part of the Association Agreement.

In the opinion of Csaba Sógor it seems as if those in Kiev have not yet read this document and as if Ukraine hasn’t yet understood that the EU will not tolerate the violation of the rights of the non-Ukrainian speaking population of the country, adding that the successful restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity will only possible once minority issues have been addressed. The RMDSZ MEP believes this news raises legitimate concerns. If this is how Ukraine handles the situation, where is the guarantee that it intends to respect other aspects of the agreement - asked the MEP.