Tashkent, May 19 -- The draft law on conducting official documentation in the state language has seen a heated discussion over the past couple of days. The bill itself was published at the end of April. According to article 9 of the constitution it is clearly stated that "work in the government and administration is conducted in the state language". Issues related to the regulation of the state language are the exclusive prerogative of the state's internal policy and do not accept interference. In the meantime, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova last week said that the supporters of the bill "are in a clear minority".

Uzbek was made the official state language in Uzbekistan in 1995. This decision...