Kyrgyz President Defends Language Law Following Kremlin Criticism

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has defended a new law obliging all officials to be able to speak Kyrgyz for official purposes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly called the legislation "undemocratic" and "discriminatory." Japarov said in a televised statement on July 24 that the law reiterated the status of Russian as an official language in the country, and only stipulates that Kyrgyz must be used by officials at all state entities and local self-government bodies. The law also obliges broadcasters to have at least 60 percent of their programming in Kyrgyz. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.