The Ukrainian parliament has passed a new law to strengthen the status of the English language in the Eastern European country.

In future, a good command of English will be a prerequisite for many Ukrainian civil servants, the parliament in Kiev decided on Tuesday.

A higher level of English is intended to make the country more attractive to tourists and more competitive internationally. The upgrading of English in Ukraine is “a necessity and a strategic step towards full membership of [the Ukrainian] state in the European Union,” it was said in justification of the law.

For example, border and customs officials, public prosecutors and police officers in senior positions should be able to communicate in English. Emergency calls and the utilization of medical services should be possible in English.

When dealing with the authorities, translations of foreign documents such as passports from English into Ukrainian, which have been common up to now, are to become superfluous.

Museums are also to make their exhibitions accessible in English. Websites of state institutions and universities must offer up-to-date English versions.

In order to raise the level of English among Ukrainians, English lessons are already planned in pre-school centres.

The showing of films in the original English language with subtitles is also being promoted.

Ukrainian is the sole official language in Ukraine. Russian, which was widely spoken in Soviet times, has been increasingly banned from public life by law for years. The language has also lost popularity as a result of the Russian invasion.