National minorities in Azerbaijan will study at their native language

The charter will be ratified by the Azerbaijani parliament in the near future, MP Asim Mollazade told the Baku Echo newspaper, Regnum informs.

One of the main Charter’s requirements is the provision of appropriate forms and means for the teaching and study of regional or minority languages at all appropriate stages, including the promotion of study and research on regional or minority languages at universities or equivalent institutions.

As Head of the Azerbaijani Human Rights Center Eldar Zeynalov said, ratification of the Charter is one of the Council of Europe requirements that Azerbaijan was obliged to fulfill by January 2004. "We are late for two years. The matter is, Azerbaijan got used to the national minorities who know where there place is, escpeacially taking into account the increased attention towards development and maintaining of the official language," said the human rights activist.

At the same time he noted that main reason why the Azerbaijani party is not striving to ratify the Charter is the necessity to provide conditions for national minorities to teach on their native language. "It is a very complicated process for officials, taking into account that Lezgins, Kurds, Talysh and others," added the head of the Human Rights Center.

Although not everybody in Azerbaijan think that the Charter should be rartified as the Council of Europe claims, believes the newspaper. According to MP Sabir Rustamkhanly, in Azerbaijan even without it all the conditions for compact living of national minorities are provided without discrimination and violation of human rights. "I think Azerbaijan can do without this charter," concluded Rustamkhanly.