Georgian FM Doesn’t Know ‘What is Javakhq’

“I don’t know what kind of problems you are referring to because I don’t like when something is described ‘recently there were problems in Javakhq’,” said Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Grigol Vashadze in Yerevan today, responding to a question by a journalist concerning Georgia not ratifying the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and the recent educational and language issues in Javakhq.

“First of all, I don’t know what is Javakhq, there is no such a place on a geographical map — even less so in Georgia,” continued the Georgian FM. The region in Georgia which Armenians refer to as “Javakhq” is known as “Javakheti” in Georgian. 

“Second, when we’re speaking about educational problems, so-called educational problems, I would like to draw your kind attention [to the fact] that 103 Armenian schools were repaired in the special state program. And they were repaired well ahead of the Georgian schools of the same region,” said Vashadze, adding that the Armenian schools have received computers.

Continuing, he said that “the re-qualification of teachers of the Armenian schools were conducted together by the Ministry of Education for Georgia and Ministry of Education of Armenia. And I’m very pleased that our Ministry of Education got [the] gratitude of their colleagues from Armenia.”

Concluding his response to the journalist’s question, Vashadze recalled a now fully implemented Georgian state program in which the country’s ethnic minorities can pass university entrance exams in their native language:

“One more thing: every student of Georgia from Samtskhe-Javakheti, every citizen of Georgia of Armenian origin will be passing exams in our institutes and universities in Armenian… [the] exam for basic knowledge will be in Armenian. After that, all students will be financed to have one year of extensive studies in Georgian, and after that, they will start learning their profession. Trust me, Georgia is paying good share of its educational budget to give all the possibilities and equal possibilities to our Armenian co-citizens, thank you.”