Ukraine’s parliament said the new law protects national minorities’ rights without undermining the status of the Ukrainian language. (AFP pic)KYIV: Ukraine on Monday passed legislation protecting the rights of national minorities, in a move expected to remove a major stumbling block to the country's EU ambitions.
Hungary had been blocking the opening of so-called negotiation "clusters" – policy areas with which EU candidates must align their laws – accusing Kyiv of failing to protect the rights of Ukraine's Hungarian minority.
Ukraine has long said it respected minority rights but nonetheless negotiated with Budapest over a possible law in a bid to accelerate its EU bid.
Kyiv's parliament voted Monday to pass the legislation, which President Volodymyr Zelensky then signed into law, his office said.
