A United Nations human rights expert has called on the Government of the Republic of Moldova to further promote linguistic rights of minorities, introduce multilingual education, and strengthen the unity between various population groups in the country.

“Diversity should be valued as an important asset and strength of the Republic of Moldova,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák-Ndiaye, at the end of her first official visit to the country.

Noting Moldova's complex ethnic, religious and linguistic make-up, where numerous minority groups with multi-layered ethnic, religious and linguistic identities peacefully coexist, she urged measures to minimize the politicization of the use of languages which often leads to polarization and might threaten peaceful coexistence if not resolved.

The expert encouraged the Government to guarantee quality education in both mother tongue and the State language (Moldovan/Romanian), calling for the introduction of multilingual education methodologies and multilingual classrooms.