TBILISI, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan discussed issues relating to the educational, cultural and other issues of the Armenian community, reports Armenpress.

After the meeting with the Armenian President, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan told reporters that many Armenian schools in Georgia face a problem of teachers training. “We face a problem of providing many schools with teachers. Of course, this is the task of the Georgian education ministry, but we know that Armenian youth from Georgia, who want to become a teacher, are taught for free in Armenia. And they later will return here to teach in the Armenian schools”, he said.

There are more than 120 Armenian schools in Georgia. The Primate of the Armenian Diocese stated that these schools need hundreds of teachers. “We have a school in Javakheti where the graduate didn’t manage to get a higher education, but he/she teaches at the same school. “That’s why the education level is low, and we need to raise it”, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan said.

He added that he asked the Armenian President to further boost the cultural ties between Armenia and Georgia. “We know Georgia, the Georgian culture quite well since Armenians visit Georgia a lot, but Georgians visit Armenia less and are not familiar with Armenia and the Armenian culture. It’s necessary to boost the cultural ties. In the context of cultural ties we have highlighted the works of Armenian artists, as well as the issue to translate the Armenian literature in Georgian at the state level. Today these issues are being solved either by the writers union or simply by individuals, but it’s necessary to translate the Armenian literature in Georgian since reading increases in Georgia, new bookshops are being opened which later become clubs of book-lovers”, he said.  

Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan also discussed with President Serzh Sargsyan the issue of making investments in Samtskhe-Javakheti region by the Armenian businessmen. “It’s very important for the local people to be engaged in other works in addition to agricultural and animal husbandry activities so that the social life there will be more safe and people will not leave their communities”, he said.