YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian received Chairman of the Union of Armenians in Ajaria Grigory Vardanian and Spokesman for the Union Arthur Hovhannisian on September 23. Deputy Minister of Diaspora Stepan Petrosian, the heads of the departments of the ministry were present at the meeting. The representatives of the Union spoke about the necessity of measures aimed at preserving Armenian identity in Ajaria: retraining the teachers of the school attached to the Armenian Church in Batumi, receiving textbooks and methodological guides, improvement of the educational conditions of Ajarian Armenian teachers in Armenia, and organizing tours of Armenian cultural groups in Ajaria. Mr. Vardanian said it is envisaged opening a one-day Armenian School attached to Surb Prkich Church in Batumi and to build an Armenian House and turn it into a cultural, educational, social and business center of the local Armenian community. In his words, the opportunities of cooperation between the community and Homeland will grow after construction of Yerevan-Akhalkalak-Batumi motorway. The trip from Yerevan to Batumi by this motorway will take 5.5 hours instead of nearly 10 hours when one travels by the motorway via Tbilisi. Ms. Hakobian suggested setting out the community's problems in a document, assuring the guests that the Armenian community in Ajaria will remain in the center of attention of the Ministry of Diaspora. In her words, the ministry will provide all possible assistance to the implementation of the community programs. Approximately 12 thousand Armenians live in the Republic of Ajaria - part of Georgia. The Union of Armenians in Ajaria recently marked the 5th anniversary of the union's foundation.

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