NGO asks MPs to define status of Russian language in Moldova

The International Association for Friendship and Cooperation “Moldova and Russia” calls on the members of the new legislative body to appoint representatives of the national minorities to posts in the central and local authorities and to determine the status of the Russian language. Members of the Association made relevant suggestions at a news conference on Monday, Info-Prim Neo reports. Iuri Maximov, the president of the Association’s board, said that the central and local authorities should take into account the fact that Moldova is a polyethnic state. “Representatives of the national minorities should be proportionally represented in government institutions,” he said. The Association “Moldova and Russia” insist on clearly defining the status of the Russian language in Moldova. “It is time that Russian’s status of interethenic communication language in Moldova is observed and that it is provided the status of official language,” Maximov stressed. It was also proposed studying the Integrated History course in schools in the context of the 650th anniversary of the foundation of the Moldovan state. According to the Association, the MPs should also focus on the development of the friendship and cooperation relations between Moldova and Russia and of Moldova’s relations with other CIS member states, especially those that are native countries for a large number of Moldovan citizens. “Effort must be made to liquidate the consequences of the mistakes committed in the past as they negatively influence the Moldovan-Russian relations,” Maximov said. According to him, Moldova should also improve the relations with its neighbors – Romania and Ukraine. At the end of the conference, Iuri Maximov said that the Association is ready to cooperate with the MPs who will be willing to.