Georgia to act against “anti-Georgian” groups in ethnic Armenian area – minister

Kavkasia-Press news agency, Tbilisi
2 May 05

Tbilisi, 2 May: The Georgian government is prepared to neutralize
political groups which have recently become active in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region. The inhabitants of this region are
predominately Armenian and they are pursuing anti-Georgian policies,
Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili has told journalists.

Several groups have recently appeared in Samtskhe-Javakheti, which are
agitating the local people by organizing demonstrations and protests
against the withdrawal of the Russian military base from Akhalkalaki.

The minister said that the government was not prepared to allow
separatism to take root and would ensure that local Armenians would
be guaranteed work when the Russian military base was withdrawn.