Putin Advocates Establishment of Global Center to Advance Russian Language Education

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin voiced his support for a plan to establish a national center aimed at promoting Russian as a second language globally.

«I believe that setting up a dedicated center would greatly enhance the promotion of the Russian language,» Putin stated during a council meeting focused on implementing state language policy.

He instructed the Kremlin and his administration to initiate the development of a “university-based national interdepartmental scientific and methodological center for the promotion of the Russian language worldwide.”

Nikita Gusev, the acting chancellor of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, who proposed the idea, mentioned that the initiative would rely on “an ecosystem of Russia’s presence abroad” built by various government agencies, including the Foreign Ministry.

Gusev indicated that a more detailed proposal will be presented during the next council meeting on Russian language state policy, pending Putin’s approval.