The Ukrainian Embassy is examining the closure of the Romanian-language class in Orlivka, just four days after it opened

The Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest announced that the competent institutions in Kyiv are examining the situation of the first-grade class taught in Romanian in Orlivka, Odesa region, which was closed four days after the start of the school year. The class had opened on September 1, following lengthy efforts by the parents and the Consulate General of Romania in Odesa.

The embassy says it is investigating all the circumstances of the case and claims that attempts to fuel “negative emotions” or call into question Ukraine’s policy on the rights of national minorities are unfounded. According to the institution, there are 63 schools with Romanian-language classes in the Chernivtsi region.

Romania’s Foreign Ministry said it had requested clarifications both in Bucharest and Kyiv. A consular team is due to travel to Orlivka on September 18 to discuss the situation and identify a solution that would allow studies in Romanian to continue. The locality is inhabited almost entirely by ethnic Romanians. The parents were reportedly urged to withdraw their applications and enroll their children in Ukrainian-language classes.