On May 24, 2018, award ceremony of winners of the competition (essay, drawing and painting) held on the occasion of the Independence Day of Georgia took place at Tbilisi State University after Ivane Javakhishvili.
The event was attended by Nunu Ovsyannikova, Head of Administration of the State University, Giorgi Kekelidze, Director General of the National Library, lecturers and students, numerous guests.
From the Armenian Diocese in Georgia the event attended Rev. Father Kirakos Simonyan, spiritual superintendant of the “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan” Center for Science and Culture; Deacon Gevorg Antonyan, assistant to the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia; Susanna Khachatryan, Director of the Press Department; cameraman – photographer Gevorg Poghosov.
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili congratulated the students who won, highlighted their desire to learn Georgian language and decision to receive higher education in state language. In his speech, President of Georgia emphasized that representatives of national minorities of the country should not only integrate into civil society, but should also be included in the prosperity and progress of the country, which is their birthplace and they are the citizens of that country.
The attendees watched a film, then a montage in Georgian language, shot by students of national minorities and dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Independence of Georgia.
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, State Minister for the Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Lia Gigauri handed certificates and special awards to 23 winners representatives of national minorities, who participated in the Georgian language training within the framework of “1+4” educational program held at the Tbilisi State University, Ilia State University, Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi State Medical University, Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, as well as State Universities of Akhaltsikhe, Gori, Batumi, Kutaisi, Telavi and Sukhumi.
At the end of the event, Armenian students had a conversation with representatives of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, promised to participate more frequently in the Divine Liturgies and various events held at church. At the end, students were photographed with representatives of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.