Economy and politics prompt Armenian fears at Russian withdrawal from Georgia

Aravot, Yerevan
15 Mar 05

Text of Naira Mamikonyan’s report in Armenian newspaper Aravot on 15
March headlined “Georgia trying to get rid of Russian military
bases. This implies social problems for Javakheti Armenians”

“As before, this year too the Armenian community of Georgia is going
to mark the anniversary of the Armenian genocide. On 24 April we will
gather in the Tbilisi pantheon, raise a cross stone and hold a liturgy
in memory of the genocide victims,” Georgia’s deputy economy minister,
Genadi Muradyan, said, commenting on claims raised at last Sunday’s
[13 March] rally in Akhalkalaki. He noted that the Georgian
authorities would also attend the event.

To recap, during recent discussions on the withdrawal of Russian
military bases from Georgia, the Georgian parliament issued an
ultimatum (reported by the Russian media) to specify the withdrawal
time by 15 May. If the response fails to please the Georgian
authorities, they will impose sanctions and deny entry visas to
Russian soldiers.

“We are against aggravating relations with Russia. This is being done
so that both Russia and Georgia can find mutually acceptable and
profitable ways of withdrawal,” Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili
said.

Russian media say that while the population of Batumi will not suffer
much from the withdrawal of the Russian military base, the situation
in Akhalkalaki will be quite different. The withdrawal of the military
base from this mostly Armenian region may seriously worsen social and
economic conditions there. Of course the Russian authorities, who have
never been against the Armenians pulling chestnuts out of the fire for
them, are now heavily relying on the support of the Akhalkalaki
Armenians and are probably not mistaken.

Some 10,000 people rallied in Akhalkalaki on Sunday [13 March],
signing, at the initiative of the One Javakhk NGO a demand that the
Georgian president and parliament should not only recognize the
Armenian genocide, but should also refuse to withdraw the Russian
military base from Akhalkalaki as “its presence ensures stability and
economic prosperity for the region”.

Commenting on the situation, Genadi Muradyan said that in fact there
were 3,000-4,000 and not 10,000 at the rally. As for the withdrawal of
the Russian military base, this was more of a social issue. “There are
people working at the base and if the troops are withdrawn they will
lose their jobs. But President Saakashvili spoke on Monday and said
that nobody in Javakheti will be left jobless, everybody will have
work and that they are drafting social and economic programmes for
Samtskhe Javakheti and, particularly, for Akhalkalaki.”

Asked if this response would satisfy the Akhalkalaki Armenians or if
the issue was political rather than social, Muradyan said: “Everything
is mixed up there and it is difficult to say for sure. An Armenian MP
in the Georgian parliament, Hamlet Movsesyan, said on Monday that the
Akhalkalaki Armenians were concerned lest the Russian bases be
replaced by other foreign, particularly Turkish, troops. They are
afraid of Turkey, as they still remember the Armenian genocide. But
the Georgian authorities gave assurances that there will be no foreign
troops in Georgia in general and in Akhalkalaki in particular.”

Asked if the Javakheti Armenians’ support for Russia in the matter
might generate anti-Armenian tensions in Georgia, Muradyan said: “We
should do our best to prevent tensions. We are raising these issues
before the Georgian government and, acknowledging that this is their
problem, we point out that they should do something to settle the
social problems of the 1,200 people working at the base. I think that
the people have the right to express their opinion on such crucial
issues,” Muradyan said.