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Armenian Minister of Education has stated “to record once and for all” that Armenia’s state language is the Armenian, which is “one of the fundamental values of the country’s independence” and that the “Law on Language” may not be subjected to modifications.

Minister Mkrtchyan’s remark came on Thursday in reporters’ request to comment on recent suggestions to work toward giving a special legislative status to the Russian language in the post-soviet states.

The minister welcomed the knowledge of foreign languages, suggesting apart from the mother tongue, “knowledge of foreign languages would boost the scientific and educational potential”.

“In European countries three languages are used as a matter of practice. We put the emphasize on the full usage and studying of two foreign languages at least,” Minister Mkrtchyan said, adding a differentiated approach between the concepts of language development and the legislative status should be implemented.

“There is absolutely no issue of granting a status to any foreign language, except the one to expand the use of a foreign language which has no touch with a status,” the minister noted.

Levon Mkrtchyan next pointed out to the necessity to create concepts for the development of foreign languages, recalling the one adopted for the Russian language in 1998. In his words, the Russian language is an interstate communication mean within the Eurasian Economic Union. Additionally, the countries are in the military technical cooperation, and the Russian is necessity.
With this regard the minister expressed interest to broaden the usage and studying of the Russian as well as the English language. At the same time the minister voiced concern over the decline of the culture of the German and the French.

Levon Mkrtchyan referred to the legislation that puts the Armenian language for getting high education, while that is not the case in Georgia, where higher education may be taught in the English language as well.

“The Armenian citizens receive education in the Armenian. Al the main subjects at schools – the humanitarian and natural sciences are taught in the Armenian, while other subjects come to supplement those taught in the mother language. This is a great guarantee,” noted Minister Mkrtchyan.

He also addressed the fear among the Armenians over the language, explaining the phenomenon by the country’s long-fought struggle for preserving the language and the identity during the soviet years.

“Today, we are a sovereign state, yet we have military technical cooperation, and our soldiers and officers should be able to read the instructions in the Russian,” said the minister.