The Georgian Ministry of Education reiterated the statement by German Ambassador Peter Fischer, confirming that the German Ministry of Education had suspended the planned enhancement of Georgian-German scientific cooperation, including student mobility, research initiatives, and Georgia's participation in EU programs.

The Ministry emphasized that exchange programs and research initiatives between Georgian and German academic institutions remain unaffected. It clarified that the statement did not impact existing exchanges, joint research projects, or scholarship programs, including the DAAD program. The suspension concerns only future collaboration under initial preparatory discussions.

Cooperation between the institutions is grounded in agreements that uphold academic freedom and institutional autonomy, core principles of the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area, values Georgia has maintained for over two decades.

The Ministry suggested that the German Education Minister's remarks, made on his final day in office, were politically motivated, aiming to disrupt Georgian-German academic relations and create confusion. The letter referenced by the Ambassador, dated February 20, was issued just before Germany's federal elections. The newly elected conservative government, including the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD), is expected to take office, following a coalition led by the Greens, whose Education Minister authored the letter. The Ministry concluded that this move was intended to damage bilateral relations and leave a negative legacy for the incoming coalition.