Foreign sociologists praise Transdniester language policy

[Harold Schiffman]

Foreign sociologists praise Transdniester language policy

The Eurasian monitor project praises the language policy of
Pridnestrovie (Transdniester). Sociologists from Russia and Ukraine
say that "Pridnestrovie demonstrates an optimal solution" and "a good
example". The unrecognized country has three official languages:
Russian, Moldovan and Ukrainian.

By Times staff, 12/Mar/2008

All three main ethnic groups in Pridnestrovie participate equally in
political and cultural life, foreign experts highlightedTIRASPOL
(Tiraspol Times) - During a meeting with Pridnestrovie's Parliament on
Tuesday, sociologists from Russia and Ukraine praised the language
policy of Pridnestrovie (Transdniester). The unrecognized country has
three official languages: Moldovan, Russian and Ukrainian. The
visiting foreign experts in sociology are part of the Eurasian monitor
project, which was launched in October, 2004. Since last year, they
have been working with sociologists in Pridnestrovie to research the
situation of minority languages in the de facto independent republic,
which lies between Ukraine and Moldova. " - Pridnestrovie initially
was not chosen to participate in this research, but local experts in
sociology applied our methods and conducted an independent research,
it came as a surprise," said Igor Zadorin, head of the international
Eurasian monitor group. "Now we have an opportunity to compare the
results of the research on the situation with the Russian language not
only in recognized states."

Pridnestrovie seen as "a good example" In Parliament, the
representatives of the Eurasian monitor project met with members of
the PMR Parliamentary Commission for foreign policy and international
contacts. During their meeting with Pridnestrovie's legislators, the
experts explained that key tasks of the Eurasian monitor include the
monitoring of social and economic moods of people living on the
post-Soviet territory, attitudes of voters towards main government
institutes, as well as views on social and political events.
However, extensive recent research has been carried out on language
policies in the now-independent republics on the territory of the
former Soviet Union. It is this project in which Pridnestrovie's
experts took part.

The representatives of the Eurasian monitor think that many
post-Soviet states could follow Pridnestrovie's example, the press
service of Pridnestrovie's Parliament reported.

" - The solution to the language problem that Pridnestrovie
demonstrates is an optimal solution for our region (South-East
Ukraine) as well, it's a good example," said one of the project
participants, Director of the Center for South Ukrainian border zone
studies Vladimir Korobov.

" - Pridnestrovie's legislation gives a chance to all language
communities to make progress enjoying equal rights. Pridnestrovie's
experience is of great interest and a solution to a language problem
in the context of creating equal legislative, legal and other
conditions for the progress of languages," added Korobov.

The group of researchers plan on also including Pridnestrovie in a new
project which will be launched by the Eurasian monitor in April 2008.
(With information from the PMR Parliamentary press service)

http://www.tiraspoltimes.com/node/1634

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