Georgian minorities get vital EU information in native languages

Georgian minorities who do not speak the national language will be able to better understand the country’s future and importance of signing the Association Agreement with the European Union (EU) thanks to a plan to report important events in five languages.

The coverage will be compiled into Azerbaijani, Russian, Armenian, Ossetian and Abkhazian languages at the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) with support from the Presidential Administration of Georgia.

This decision was made at a meeting between the advisor to the President on National Minorities Sophio Shamanidi and the Georgian Public Broadcaster CEO Giorgi Baratashvili.

Shamanidi said international organizations working to ease issues relating to Georgian minority members said a big problem was lack of awareness of Georgia’s European aspirations, the country’s European integration process and the importance of the AA.

"Awareness is particularly scarce in regions where national minorities live in compact settlements. The reports will help them understand the benefits their region can face once the AA is signed,” Shamadini said.

The Georgian Public Broadcaster leader said the reports would be prepared "in the near future” and would be aired on the Second Channel of the GPB.

"The Moambe news program already airs on the Second Channel of the GPB in five languages. We buy broadcasting time at regional TV companies and stream our programme. These reports will be aired three times a week at the GPB,” Baratashvili said.