Top students from the occupied territories of Georgia have been awarded the Dimitri Gulia and Kosta Khetagurov scholarships today.
The scholarship was founded on the initiative of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Education Ministry this year – it is for students from occupied territories who got the highest grades on the Unified National Examinations.
GTU (Technical University of Georgia) first-year student Giorgi Tsikolia and CIU (Caucasus International University) student Robizon Iluridze were provided with a scholarship this year.
They are from the occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.
The students will get a 300 GEL monthly scholarship for a year.
Reconciliation Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said that the protection of Abkhaz and Ossetian culture is very important for the Georgian government and Georgia conducts a special state programme promoting the development of the Abkhaz language and culture.
We see education as a very important issue, especially when it comes to assisting the young people from occupied territories,’’ Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has said.
She said ‘this is the most proper response to the violent policy being now underway’.
Tsikhelashvili also mentioned a new peaceful initiative ‘Step to Better Future” aimed at high-quality education availability that will be a motivator for students to reeceive higher grades.
We will oppose the occupation with these particular steps and overcome it,” Tsikhelashvili added.
One of the awarded, Robizon Iluridze, stated the scholarship will make him far more motivated.
Dimitri Gulia was an Abkhaz writer and member of the Soviet government. Kosta Khetagurov was a significant figure of Ossetian literature, as well as a poet and artist.