The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili met Azeri and Armenian students.  For the first time, this year was launched new program for students of ethnic minorities. They were enrolled in the higher education institutions with special quotas. They passed only one exam in General Skills (in Azeri and Armenian languages) and got enrolled in preparatory courses. They will intensively study Georgian this year and next year they will continue studying to get higher education degree. Last year only 3 such students got State Grants, this year this number will increase and will equal 200.

Among invited guests were students who passed 4 exams and got enrolled in higher education institutions and students of ethnic minorities who passed only one exam in the scope of above mentioned program. “I am proud to say that Georgia is multi-ethnical country. Georgia doesn’t only belong to Georgians; it also belongs to Azeri, Armenian and Russian people too.  People should be judged by their skills, intelligence, by their capability of working not by religion and ethnicity. It is important for all the people to have equal opportunities for success; good example for this is the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia and is in charge of one of the most important field”- said the President.

The President underlined the importance of Georgian language and learning Georgian doesn’t mean to forget your native language.

The President addressed the students:”This year 300 entrants decided to take national exams through the new program. You are students now and this is huge victory for me and I want this number to increase in the future”.

At the end of the meeting Mikheil Saakashvili awarded the entrants with highest scores with computers.