Bucharest calls on Kyiv to protect Romanian-language study
Romania urged Ukraine on Friday to preserve its Romanian-language school network, calling for firm legislative safeguards to protect minority mother-tongue education amid ongoing domestic reforms.
The diplomatic initiative follows an urgent appeal from three civic associations representing ethnic Romanians in Ukraine, who voiced concern that an education reform bill pending in Kyiv could restrict native-language instruction.
Diplomatic consultations in Bucharest
The matter was formally raised during bilateral political consultations between Romania’s State Secretary for Strategic and Global Affairs, Ana Tinca, and Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Mishchenko.
Romanian officials underscored the need for continuous, sustainable access to Romanian-language education across all academic levels, emphasizing the preservation of the community's traditional institutional network.
“The Romanian side stressed the necessity of ensuring continuity, sustainability, and adequate access to education in the Romanian language at all levels,” the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official statement.
Bucharest also urged Ukrainian authorities to avoid regressive educational measures and maintain regular, transparent consultations with ethnic Romanian representatives before enacting statutory changes.
Concurrently, Romania reaffirmed its steadfast support for Ukraine against Russian conventional and hybrid threats, while reviewing cross-border infrastructure initiatives, including a new bridge over the Tisa River at Sighetu Marmației.
Minority associations raise concerns
The diplomatic outreach came after three regional groups sent a memorandum to Romanian President Nicușor Dan and government officials, requesting immediate intervention to safeguard minority schooling.
The Dacia Regional Union of Romanians in Zakarpattia, the Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi Romanian Cultural Center in Chernivtsi, and the Bessarabia National-Cultural Association in the Odessa region warned that the parliamentary bill could erode the minority school system.
Community leaders argued that the draft legislation must explicitly guarantee children the right to study in their native language throughout high school and vocational education, rather than phasing in Ukrainian-only instruction.
They also requested specific exemptions from the mandatory five-student minimum per class, preventing low-enrollment rural classrooms from facing automatic closure.
Ukraine’s parliamentary Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation reviewed the legislative proposal on October 6, recommending its adoption. The ethnic Romanian and Moldovan community in Ukraine numbers approximately 400,000 people.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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