PM Garibashvili congratulates public on Abkhaz Language Day
“The Georgian government is taking important steps towards [Abkhaz language] survival and protection, development promotion and popularisation...Together we must create a peaceful future in a united European state,” stated Garibashvili. Photo: Government of Georgia.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has congratulated the public on Abkhaz Language Day earlier today.
Garibashvili emphasised that the Abkhaz language along with Georgian ‘is protected by the Constitution of Georgia and the state has a special obligation to preserve and develop it.’
The Abkhaz language, culture and traditions are an integral part and wealth of our common and diverse culture,” said Garibashvili.
He also touched upon the issue of the Russian occupation, noting that ‘the Abkhaz language is in serious danger of disappearing’ due to the occupant country’s politics in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia.
The Abkhaz language is one of the endangered languages in the world, based on the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.
The Georgian government is taking important steps towards [Abkhaz language] survival and protection, development promotion and popularisation...Together we must create a peaceful future in a united European state,” stated Garibashvili.
Abkhaz is a Northwest Caucasian language with estimated 90,000 native speakers in Georgia’s occupied region of Abkhazia, while in total about 610,000 people are speaking Abkhazo-Adyghian languages in various parts of the world particularly in the Georgia’s Autonomous Republic of Adjara, in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Germany and the United States.
Russia recognised the independence of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on August 26, 2008, following the Russia-Georgia war.
However, only four other countries – Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria – share Russia’s position regarding the occupied Georgian territories’ status, while the whole international community state that the regions are occupied by Russia.
All first to eighth graders in eight schools of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district, which is mostly inhabited by ethnic Georgians, will now be forced to study in a Russian-language curriculum, the NGO Democracy Research Institute (DRI) says.
The Georgian national flag is flying at half-mast today as 28 years ago on September 27 Georgia lost control over the region of Abkhazia, which is currently occupied by Russia. Paying tribute to the victims of the armed conflict, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said he believes the ‘Georgian government will be able to overcome the severe consequences of the war and will work for the common future, peace and prosperity of the Abkhaz and Georgian people’.
Students of all grades in Georgia’s Russian-occupied, mostly ethnic-Georgian-inhabited Gali district will have to receive secondary education in Russian, the de facto Abkhaz Education Ministry has decided.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated at today’s governmental meeting that the Georgian Dream government is creating a state program to protect and develop the Abkhazian language, the language of the Georgian region which is now occupied by Russia.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who recently attended an event celebrating the 75th anniversary of UNESCO, has called on the organisation to establish an international Day of Caucasian Languages, which also would include Abkhaz.
An exhibition of previously unseen photographs of public figures taken in Georgia’s Russian-occupied north-western Abkhazia region, and a screening of a film on the province’s cultural heritage have been hosted in Tbilisi as part of celebrations of Abkhazia Day on Monday.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said the government would work to study and promote the Abkhaz language in comments marking the national date of Abkhaz Language Day.