Today, September 23, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov congratulated Kyrgyz people on the State Language Day of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Congratulations of the President:

“Dear compatriots!

Dear citizens of Kyrgyzstan!

I sincerely congratulate you on September 23 - the State Language Day of the Kyrgyz Republic!

The Kyrgyz language is the basis of national identity, the core of our national value, and the source of our spiritual nourishment. It is a precious legacy left to us by our ancestors, a sacred trust that can be passed on to future generations. We are all obliged to fulfill this deposit! Protecting and developing the language should be the same duty as protecting the state!

The concepts of national language and independence are inseparable and mutually exclusive. It is well known that the movement to prevent the loss of our mother tongue was the catalyst for the initial attempts to declare the Kyrgyz Republic independent. That campaign rose to prominence at the end of the 1980s and succeeded in establishing the Kyrgyz language’s legal position as a state language.

The heart is mute if the tongue is silent. Only when language is used does it evolve. Our state language has seen significant development in the years since we gained our independence, but there is still work to be done. We have yet to eradicate the prejudice and indifference toward the Kyrgyz language in our society.

So, in order to set an example, we are currently treating the state language issue seriously and giving serious consideration to maintaining official documents in the state language. All state and municipal personnel must pass a specific test on the state language. This need will increase further, and the necessary steps will be made.

Inter-ethnic harmony should be supported by the use of the state language. Steps to promote the unity of our people and make the state language the language of interethnic dialogue shouldn’t be contained solely in declarative strategy papers!

May the state language that is our mother tongue have a firm foundation!

I invite you all to serve our state language and our people!”