The European Council’s President supports FUEN`s Main Resolution on Ukraine

Ensuring the respect for rights of persons belonging to national minorities and finalising the reform of the legal framework for minorities are key steps Ukraine needs to undertake – acknowledges the President of the European Council, Charles Michel in an official letter sent to FUEN President MEP Loránt Vincze, in response to FUEN’s Main Resolution adopted by the General Assembly in October 2022 in Berlin.

In the Resolution on the war against Ukraine and strengthening the global and European framework for the protection of minorities, FUEN condemns the Russian war of aggression and war crimes and points out that the minorities living in Ukraine are affected by Russian aggression just like any other Ukrainian citizen.  The Resolution also calls on the institutions of the European Union and its member states to „Explicitly take into account the protection of minority groups when dealing with the consequences of the war in Ukraine. As a candidate country for accession to the European Union, Ukraine, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey must fully comply with the standards of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights, including minority rights. FUEN therefore stresses that the legal framework of these countries should contain the necessary provisions on the right of national minorities to use their languages in all areas of administrative and public life, including the right to education in their mother tongue, which is guaranteed by the constitution of the respective countries and the international standards and conventions ratified by them.”

In his response from 12 December 2022, Mr Charles Michel wrote: „As you are aware, the European Union has condemned in the strongest possible terms the unprovoked and unjustified Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which is causing unspeakable suffering to the Ukrainian citizens. At the same time, the EU and Ukraine have acknowledged the need to ensure respect for rights of persons belonging to national minorities and to finalise the reform of the Ukrainian legal framework for national minorities. This is one of the key steps Ukraine needs to undertake in the context of its application for EU membership.”