Georgian MPs say clashes in Armenian-populated areas not of “interethnic”
nature
Arminfo
7 Jul 05
YEREVAN
A delegation of Georgian parliamentarians of Armenian origin today
arrived in Yerevan on a working visit at the invitation of Armenian
Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan.
Commenting on the socioeconomic situation in the Armenian-populated
districts of Georgia as well as frequent clashes [between Georgians
and Armenians], a member of the Georgian parliament, Van Bayburtyan,
told our Arminfo correspondent : “All clashes which occur in various
districts of Georgia, including in the Armenian-populated districts,
have an exclusively common nature and are not a result of interethnic
strife.”
[Passage omitted on specific incident in Tsalka District]
Bayburtyan said that the Armenian media have been exaggerating and
incorrectly describing the situation in Georgia and the
Armenian-populated districts of this country. “All these have a
negative impact on the Armenian-Georgian relations, especially given
that there are many people wishing to aggravate relations between the
two countries,” he said.
A member of the Georgian parliament from Akhalkalaki District, Gamlet
Movsisyan, also said that there was no need to see the said clashes in
the Armenian-populated districts of Georgia as a serious problem and
worsen the relations between Armenia and Georgia. “Clashes also occur
in other Georgian districts and in Armenia itself, but this does not
mean that they should certainly be of interethnic nature,” he pointed
out.
As for the socioeconomic situation in the Armenian-populated districts
of Georgia, Movsisyan said that a programme on the socioeconomic
development of these districts were being elaborated. He also pointed
out that not only the government of Georgia, but also of Armenia
should take part in the implementation of this programme. The MP said
that a meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries were
expected in the near future, during which this programme will be
discussed in detail.
As for the possible deterioration of the situation in Georgia’s
Akhalkalaki District after the withdrawal of the Russian military
bases, Movsisyan thinks that the leadership of Georgia will keep its
promise and create new jobs for the residents of the district who used
to work at the Russian military bases.