A 20-member group of Pankisi teachers and principals met with the Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze, the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, EU Ambassador to Georgia and Carl Hartsel and the Head of NATO and EU Information Center Nino Bolkvadze.

Shortly before the teachers returned from Brussels, where they were with studying visit. They visited EU institutions - the European Parliament, the European Commission, NATO headquarters, etc., met the officials, including the Ambassador of Georgia to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Ambassador of Georgia to Luxembourg, the Head of the Mission in NATO and so on.

The teachers received information about the importance of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, European values and EU-Georgia cooperation.

Teachers have been awarded with certificates for participation in the project. According to the State minister, such project was first implemented and it will continue in the future as it is the priority of civil integration policy.

"I'm full of impressions that they shared with us. Teachers are people who have a direct touch with the most important part of our community - young people and pupils. The main priority for our civil integration is to consolidate the society around the main tasks that the country has. Consolidation, first of all, comes from more information and consciousness.

"Teachers will share this experiences and will contribute more to the population of the Pankisi Gorge. Thus they will better understand the benefits of Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. The support of society towards this course will be further strengthened with specific knowledge", - said Ketevan Tsikhelashvili.

Teachers from Pankisi also visited Belgian educational institutions in order to share the local education system and the European experience in this regard. They got acquainted with teaching methods in Belgian schools.

The project was organized by the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality and the Information Center on NATO and the European Union in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Financially it was supported by the EU Delegation to Georgia.