The Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli hosted the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, who is paying an official visit to Georgia. The ministers discussed issues of strengthening cooperation between Georgia and Hungary in the fields of education, science, culture, and sports.

Mikheil Chkhenkei thanked his Hungarian counterpart for the close cooperation and for fruitful educational work the Hungarian Embassy in Georgia has conducted over the years. The Minister mentioned the scholarship program "Stipendium Hungaricum" and noted that it provides young people with a quality education and promotes closer relations between two nations.

Furthermore, Minister Chkhenkeli spoke about the famous Hungarian mathematicians and noted that, like Hungarian Mathematics institutions, Georgian schools are also internationally recognized. The Minister also discussed the possibilities of implementing joint scientific projects with the participation of Georgian and Hungarian scientists.

Additionally, Mikheil Chkhenkeli offered the Hungarian guest to cooperate with Kutaisi International University as an important opportunity to conduct joint scientific experiments. According to the Minister, Kutaisi International University, which was founded by Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family, will receive its first batch of students from September 2020. At this stage, Kutaisi International University actively cooperates with the world's leading universities and research centers, including the Technical University of Munich. Famous Georgian and international professors will give lectures at the university.

Moreover, according to the minister, foreign students, including Hungarians, will be able to study at the University, as the teaching will be conducted in English. The modern academic institution will have a Hadron Therapy Center, where modern research in medical and nuclear physics will be carried out along with the treatment of oncological diseases. The Hadron Therapy Center was funded by the Cartu Foundation with a generous sum of 40 million euros. Péter Szijjártó praised the mega-project of Kutaisi International University and expressed readiness for cooperation.

The parties also discussed opportunities to enhance cooperation in the field of sports. Mikheil Chkhenkeli presented his vision for the development of university sports to the guest, the implementation of which will be possible after the end of the pandemic. During the meeting, the Ministers solemnly signed the renewed Memoranda of cooperation, which envisages the expansion of cooperation in two areas: Hungarian scholarships and the protection of cultural heritage.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli: "Today we had a remarkably interesting and fruitful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. During the meeting we signed two particularly important documents, which envisages cooperation in the field of education, such as, the further development of "Stipendium Hungaricum", and an active cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection, which is extremely important for both countries.

Péter Szijjártó: "I would like to express my gratitude to the Government of Georgia and the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport  for the constructive cooperation, which we already have experienced in various fields. "As the cooperation is enhanced in the fields of education, culture and sports, relations between the nations are being formed, which is vitally important”.

Based on the renewed memorandum, Georgian-Hungarian cooperation in the field of education will be massively enhanced. Simultaneously, with the current scholarship program - "Stipendium Hungaricum", organized by the LEPL International Education Center and the Embassy of Hungary, the Georgian-Hungarian vocational scholarship program will be launched, which includes practical programs along with theoretical educational courses. Hungary is one of Georgia's active partners in the field of education.

Under the agreement signed between the parties in 2017, the scholarship program "Stipendium Hungaricum" is implemented, as a result of which, every year, Georgian citizens continue their studies at leading academic institutions and various programs in Hungary, including natural sciences, IT, mathematics and biology.

As for the protection of cultural heritage, archeology will be added to the areas of cooperation, which will allow scientists to conduct joint archaeological expeditions and conduct scientific research on archaeological artefacts preserved in Georgia and Hungary.