Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has introduced a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that will officially designate English as the language of international communication in the country, TASS reports.
According to the document, heads of local administrations, officers, police officers, and prosecutors will be required to possess proficiency in the English language.
"The English language belongs to the languages of international communication in Ukraine," the document states, as published on the parliament's website.
According to one of the articles, it will be mandatory for heads of local state administrations and their deputies, contract military officers, prosecutors, tax and customs officials, middle and senior-ranking police officers, as well as commanding staff of other law enforcement agencies and civil defense services to possess proficiency in English. Zelensky has designated the bill as urgent.
The passage of the law may pose certain challenges, as many officials are still not fully fluent in Ukrainian, which is the state language. However, the text immediately stipulates that the requirement of English language proficiency for military and police personnel does not apply during mobilization or the declaration of a state of war.
The document specifies that examinations to determine English proficiency for public officials will be conducted by a "state executive body responsible for implementing state policies in the fields of education and science." The exam will be free of charge for Ukrainian citizens, and it can be taken no more than once every four months, with no limit on the number of attempts. "The aim of this law is to promote the use of the English language as one of the languages of international communication throughout the territory of Ukraine in public spheres of social life," the bill states.
It is also mentioned that the state should contribute to the improvement of English language proficiency, particularly by ensuring its mandatory use in the educational process from early childhood and in the cultural sphere.
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