The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, has passed as a whole a draft law on the Ukrainian language, which provides for the mandatory use of the national language by government agencies, local self-government and in other spheres of public life.
Corresponding bill No. 5670-d on ensuring the use of Ukrainian as the national language passed its the second reading and was generally supported by 278 lawmakers at a plenary session of the parliament on April 25, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported.
The draft law says that it is not applicable to the sphere of private communication and the implementation of religious rites.
Ukrainian lawmakers had been considering amendments to the draft law for the second reading since February 28. They have introduced/considered over 2,000 edits.
