Foreign Ministry investigates closure of Romanian-language class in Ukraine / Odesa Consulate to discuss the case on September 18

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating the situation of a first-grade class taught in Romanian in the village of Cartal (Orlivka), Odesa region, after it was closed just four days after the start of the school year. The class had been established on September 1, following repeated efforts by the parents and the Consulate General of Romania in Odesa.

According to information provided by the local community, the parents were allegedly urged to withdraw their applications and enroll their children in a Ukrainian-language class. They are also said to have submitted and rewritten their requests several times, including a fifth time, before classes began.

The Romanian Consulate in Odesa contacted local and regional authorities and will make another visit to the site on September 18, for discussions with all parties involved. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken steps both in Bucharest and Kyiv to identify a solution that would allow instruction in Romanian to continue.

The case is part of a series of disputes concerning the preservation of Romanian-language classes in the Odesa region. This summer, the communities of Satu Nou and Borisăuca requested that the 10th-grade classes be maintained. Romania is monitoring respect for the rights of the Romanian minority במסגרת the commitments undertaken by Ukraine in the process of joining the European Union.