Zelenskyy signs education law amendments demanded by Hungary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed amendments to the country's education law, which the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, had passed earlier. Hungary had demanded the changes as a condition for agreeing to open negotiating clusters 2 and 3 in Ukraine's European Union accession talks, making the signature a step toward moving the process forward.

European Pravda, citing the Verkhovna Rada press service, reports that parliament has received the document with the president's signature.

What the amendments provide

The law refines existing legislation. It guarantees children from national minorities and indigenous peoples of Ukraine, whose languages are official EU languages, the right to be educated in their native language in Ukraine alongside the state language.

Background

The Verkhovna Rada approved the education law amendments on 12 October. The Hungarian government has welcomed the adopted changes.

European Pravda had earlier reported that the EU Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) is ready to approve the EU's common negotiating positions on opening the second and third accession negotiating clusters with Ukraine on Monday, 12 October, following the Rada's adoption of the amendments on minority education rights.