Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada, which defines English as the language of international communication in Ukraine, and also promotes the study of English by Ukrainian citizens.
The corresponding bill, No. 9432, was sent to the Verkhovna Rada committee on Wednesday for consideration.
According to a comment by deputy chairman of the Humanitarian Policy Committee Yevgeniya Kravchuk, the bill also defines categories of positions for which candidates are required to speak English.
“In order to occupy a position, civil servants, prosecutors, persons in senior positions in the police will be required to pass an examination in English,” – said in a message published in the Telegram channel of the Verkhovna Rada.
In particular, emergency units will have to provide assistance to foreigners and persons who do not speak the state language, in English. In addition, medical professionals must also be able to provide assistance in English or with the help of an interpreter.
Under the bill, information in transportation must be dubbed in English; foreign films whose original language is English must be shown in theaters in their original language with subtitles in the state language.
In turn, the commander of the United Forces of the AFU Lieutenant General Sergei Naev said that Zelensky’s initiative to submit this bill to parliament is “very timely.”
“At the moment, servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are undergoing training in a number of European countries, participating in military maneuvers in the UK. The other day the Sea Breeze series of exercises started, in which the personnel and ship personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Navy are involved. A total of 24,000 Ukrainian servicemen have already been trained in EU countries,” said a statement published in the Telegram channel on Wednesday.
Naev noted that almost all technical documentation of weapons and military equipment supplied to Ukraine by partner countries is in English.
“I believe that if before the issue of military personnel learning English was a recommendation, now it should be enshrined at the legislative level,” the commander stressed.
The government of Ukraine is discussing granting English the status of the language of business communication in the country, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said.
“English can get the status of the language of business communication in Ukraine. We discussed this possibility at a government meeting,” Shmyhal wrote on the Telegram channel.
According to him, the Cabinet of Ministers is currently working on a relevant legislative initiative.
“English is now used in business communication throughout the civilized world, so granting it such a status in Ukraine will help develop business, attract investment and accelerate Ukraine’s European integration,” the prime minister added.
Shmyhal noted that the relevant ministries were given the task of developing proposals and drawing up relevant documents.
