AZG Armenian Daily #079, 03/05/2005
Neighbors
‘WE NEED PRACTICAL STEPS TO CEMENT ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN FRIENDSHIP’
Artur Baghdasarian States
Two-day official visit of Artur Baghdasarian, chairman of RA National
Assembly, to neighboring Georgia ended on Saturday. Much is expected
from Baghdasarian’s meetings with Georgia’s political and religious
elite.
President Mikheil Saakashvili’s welcoming speech preceded his
assurances to improve the socio-economic situation of Javakhk’s
population, to repair the road network of the region.
Nino Burjanadze, speaker of the Georgian parliament, emphasized
the need to deepen friendly relations but running ahead,
answered a question about official Yerevan’s stance on Javakhk’s
self-determination directed, in essence, to Artur Baghdasarian.
Georgian Patriarch, Ilya II, stressed the need to forge relations
based on friendship and reminded that our ancestors were in brotherly
relations. But with his offer to study historical roots of Armenian
churches in Georgian territory he, in fact, cast doubt on their
belonging to the Armenians. It must be noted also that the Pantheon
to great Armenians in the area of Khojivank was repaired 2 years
ago on subsidies from the Armenian Embassy to Tbilisi and the local
Armenian community.
The chairman of Armenian National Assembly reminded that he will
visit Georgia next year too and that will be a good chance to see if
the promises of the Georgian side are fulfilled. “We need practical
steps to cement Armenian-Georgian friendship”, Baghdasarian said.
Georgian speaker Nino Burjanadze will pay a return visit to Armenia
in September. In May, Saakashvili assured, Charles Aznavour will
perform in Javakhk. Either the Armenian community or the Armenian
Embassy and Artur Baghdasarian believe that Georgian authorities’
promises and programs will come to life.
By Nana Petrosian