Ukrainian language will be the only one having state status in the country, said Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on March 9 at the anniversary of poet Taras Shevchenko’s birthday.

“Ukrainian will be flourishing in the country as the only official language,” he stated, RBK Ukraina reports. In addition, European charter for regional languages will be mandatory in Ukraine, Yanukovych informed.

Strikingly, in the course of his campaigning Yanukovych pledged to grant Russian language state status if elected.

S.T.