Vilnius must find a compromise that allows Ukrainians and Belarusians to communicate with city authorities in their native languages, Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas said Wednesday, after the capital stopped accepting written requests and complaints in Russian.
“I believe that officially we should use the state language,” Olekas told the radio Žinių Radijas. “However, in such interactions, there are other nations whose languages have become more prevalent in Vilnius.”
He said he was primarily referring to Ukrainians and Belarusians, who “should not necessarily be forced to speak Russian”.
“It seems a compromise must be found for arriving people; a guest can be received in their own language,” Olekas said.
At the same time, people planning to live in Lithuania for an extended period should be encouraged to learn Lithuanian, he said.
Olekas also said Lithuania needs to improve access to Lithuanian-language education for foreigners, particularly those who have fled war or authoritarian regimes.
The Vilnius municipality announced last week that it would no longer accept written applications and complaints in Russian. Information in Russian and other non-European Union languages will be provided orally only when a municipal employee is proficient in the language.
Russian has also been removed from the municipality’s website and its queue management system.
The municipality said it was simultaneously expanding opportunities for foreign residents to learn Lithuanian. More than 1,000 people are expected to participate this year in free and remote courses, with an additional 300,000 euros allocated for the program.
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