ArmInfo.Until 2025, Hungary will allocate 30 scholarship places for Armenian citizens to study Hungarian or another foreign language in higher educational institutions of the country. The corresponding memorandum for 2023-2025 was signed on October 27 at a meeting between Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto.
According to the Ministry of Education and Science, places for study will be allocated within the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum program in order to deepen friendly relations between the two countries and develop cooperation in the field of higher education.
In her speech, Zhanna Andreasyan especially noted the Armenian-Hungarian cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, sports and youth. According to her, language learning is one of the important tasks of the state program for the development of education until 2030, and learning the Hungarian language can open up new prospects for opportunities for Armenian youth.
Zhanna Andreasyan suggested considering the possibility of implementing a program for teaching the Armenian language, literature and Armenian studies at the Hungarian State University. The topic of Armenian studies at the Peter Pazman Catholic University in Budapest was touched upon, as well as the development of Hungarian studies and the study of the Hungarian language at Yerevan State University or Yerevan State Pedagogical University, if possible.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto, emphasized the importance of the partnership established between the two countries. Regarding the scholarship program, the minister noted that if there is demand, the Hungarian side will consider the possibility of increasing scholarship places. Peter Szijjarto emphasized the importance of training Hungarian and Armenian-speaking specialists, expressing hope that the scholarship program will help increase interest in the Hungarian language among Armenian youth and train relevant specialists. At the meeting, the Armenian minister raised the issue of protecting the Armenian historical and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh. Zhanna Andreasyan emphasized that the rich Armenian cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh is now under threat of destruction from Azerbaijan. The minister drew the attention of Peter Szijjarto to the fact that in 2020 and 2023, as a result of military aggression against Nagorno- Karabakh, 5,000 immovable monuments of Armenian history and culture, as well as 16 state museums, came under the control of Azerbaijan. The international community's response to protect them can play a significant role. "The Amaras monastery complex, where the first Armenian school was opened in the 5th century, the Gandzasar monastery complex and a number of other historical and cultural monuments are an important part of the world Christian heritage and, unfortunately, currently they are under a clear threat of distortion. We hope that as a result of the joint efforts of the international community and institutions, it will be possible to find solutions to preserve the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh. Based on information received from open sources, in the period from 2020 to 2023, we collected documentary videos and photos of about 50 cases of partial or complete destruction of monuments," Zhanna Andreasyan said. Peter Szijjarto noted that as a Christian country, Hungary also values the protection of Christian churches, especially churches.