During Russian-Georgian war of 2008 Armenians of Javakheti united with Georgians to resist the attack of the Russian troops, Georgian Science and Education Minister Dmitry Shashkin told a press conference in Yerevan.

Commenting on the education issues, Shashkin noted that reduction of Armenian language lessons in Javakhk schools is temporary. He promised that in 2012 the number of Armenian lessons would be increased, but with simultaneous increase in Georgian language lessons. The textbooks will be translated from Georgian into Armenian, sent to Armenia for examination and then back to Javakhk. Armenian language textbooks will be directly sent from Armenia. As to the Armenian teachers of Georgia they will do training in the resort city of Kobuleti next year.   

The Minister also refuted reports on renaming of the Armenian schools in Javakhk.

Today Armenian and Georgian Education and Science Ministers Armen Ashotyan and Dmitry Shashkin signed a memorandum on cooperation stipulating Armenia’s assistance to Armenian schools of Georgia, as well as Georgia’s support to the centers of Georgian studies located in Armenia. In the course of the visit, Georgian language department will be opened at the Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Bryusov. According to Ashotyan, it would be compulsory for the Javakhk students studying at the Armenian high educational institutions. It will help Javakhk students learn Georgian language to fully integrate into Georgian society returning to the Motherland, he added.

The delegation of the Georgian Science and Education Ministry also laid a wreath at the Memorial to Armenian Genocide victims.