“With great joy, we welcome and appreciate the recognition of the Romanian language, and not “Moldovan”, as the official language of the Romanian minority in Ukraine,” Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia said in a statement.
That’s according to the Orthodox Times.
“This news is truly historic and full of significance for the entire Romanian community in Ukraine.”
“We offer our sincerest congratulations and gratitude to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, but also to the Kyiv authorities for this remarkable decision to recognize the Romanian language as the official language for the Romanian minority in Ukraine,” His Eminence Metropolitan Petru noted.
“This change represents a significant step in promoting cultural and linguistic unity between Romanians in Romania and those in Ukraine while strengthening, at the same time, the rights of national minorities, a crucial aspect in the process of joining the European Union.”
“It is also gratifying to see the concern for the rights of Romanian Orthodox priests and the guarantee of the continuity of religious services in the Romanian language,” the Metropolitan of Bessarabia added.
“This underlines the importance of religious freedom and the preservation of the cultural and religious identity of the Romanian community in Ukraine.”
“This decision opens new horizons for cultural and linguistic relations between Romania and Ukraine, strengthening the ties between the two countries”, the Metropolitan also conveyed.
“We hope that this historic moment will contribute to solidarity and prosperity and set a positive example for other communities around the globe.”
At the end of a joint meeting of the governments of Romania and Ukraine last week, it was announced that the authorities in Kyiv decided to recognize the Romanian language as the official language for the Romanian minority in Ukraine.
