President Zelensky on Moldovan language: can't think of small problems

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking with journalists in Bucharest about the Moldovan language, used by his country for dividing Romanian ethnics into two smaller groups, said that "this is not a global issue" and not an urgent matter, and the governments of the two countries will tackle it in the coming weeks.

"I understand. Some people would say that Moldova is Romania. For me, this issue is not pressing," he told journalists, Digi24 reported.

"I'm sorry I can't always think of small problems. For a country at war, that's not a problem, sorry," he continued.

The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, demanded in April that the Ukrainian authorities give up the denomination of "Moldovan language" after the Romanian language became the official language in the Republic of Moldova, and this was included in the country's constitution.

As part of the joint declaration signed on October 10 in Bucharest, and quoted by G4media.ro, the presidents of Romania and Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis and Volodymyr Zelensky:

– noted the importance of effective cooperation aimed at ensuring the rights of the persons belonging to the Ukrainian national minority in Romania and of the persons belonging to the Romanian national minority in Ukraine, including by developing the bilateral legal framework based on the principle of equivalent level of protection of the rights of persons belonging to the Romanian minority in Ukraine and the persons belonging to the Ukrainian minority in Romania, taking into account international obligations and standards;

– tasked the Governments to resolve, without delay, the issue of the artificial distinction between the Romanian and "Moldovan" languages, with due regard to all legal aspects.

(Photo source: Oleschwander/Dreamstime.com)