The Messenger, Georgia
July 27 2005

Tension fluctuating in Samtskhe-Javakheti

Akhali Toba reports that the confrontation between Georgians and
Armenians is fluctuating between becoming more and less intense.
Tension has grown since an agreement was reached between Moscow and
Tbilisi to withdraw the Russian military base at Akhalkalaki as local
ethnic Armenians employed there are worried that they will be unable
to find new jobs.
President Saakashvili has sought to assure the local residents that
the closure of the base will not mean fewer jobs, as the Georgian
army will take the place of the Russian soldiers.
Akhali Taoba reports that both the Georgian and Armenian governments
have been doing all they can to address the situation. The prime
ministers of the two countries Zurab Noghaideli and Andranik
Margaryan visited the region on Sunday together, something the
newspaper sees as symbolizing the good relations and willingness to
cooperate between the two countries.
Noghaideli said afterwards that the visit of the Armenian PM had been
a good idea. “We discussed the economic relations between two
countries, and the need to develop communications links in
Samtskhe-Javakheti. We will do this quite soon,” he said.
Noghaideli was upbeat about the region’s future prospects, enthusing
that “within four years this region will have totally changed,” while
Akhali Taoba reports that Margaryan approved of Georgian efforts to
resolve the problems in the region together with the Armenian
authorities.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress