Amid Checkpoint Closure, Aspiring Students from Abkhazia Left out of University Exams

Due to the crossing point closure, imposed by Sokhumi at River Enguri checkpoint, the majority of entrants registered in the Gali district of occupied Abkhazia failed to participate in the first subject matter examination today, which forms the part of the Unified National Exams, a set of nationwide tests administered to those high school graduates, who want to enter universities.

A total of 185 such aspiring students are registered in the Gali district, but only a small group, some 6 people, managed to cross the boundary, the Gali education resource center told Civil.ge on July 1.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia said it plans to offer remedies to those students who were forced to stay behind.

“We will do our utmost to ensure that they are given an opportunity to get higher education and we call on all aspiring students [from Gali district] to get enrolled in the upcoming exams as soon as they can,” Deputy Minister of Education, Irina Abuladze told reporters on Monday.

“We will follow the developments and eventually make a decision on how to assure their access to education,” she noted.

The “security service” of occupied Abkhazia announced on June 27 that the Enguri crossing point of the boundary line will be temporarily closed, citing recent protest rallies in Zugdidi district, saying they “are provocative” in nature and affect “Abkhaz statehood”.

Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani said on June 28 that the issue of closure of the Enguri crossing point would be raised at the next round of the Geneva International Discussions this week.

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