‘WE STRIVE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS AND PEACE’

Azg/arm
29 July 05

Georgian Ambassador to Armenia, Prof. Revaz Gachechiladze, Answers
Daily Azg’s Questions

– Mr. Ambassador, you were present at celebration of Jivani’s Day in
Kartsakh village of Akhalkalak region. What was that, a diplomatic
mission or tribute to poetry?

– It was a diplomatic mission first of all, as I am unable to
appreciate Jivani’s poetry in Armenian though I know several hundreds
Armenian words. Diplomatically, the ambassador of Georgia has to be
acquainted with the state of Armenians of Georgia, as I am often
obliged to answer questions about this issue.

– What’s your evaluation of today’s situation in Samtskhe-Javakhetia
region?

– Things are balanced in the region today. But there is indeed a bunch
of unsolved socio-economic problems. I want to emphasize that
situation in all mountainous regions of Georgia is very much the same
as in Javakhetia; underdeveloped production, outdated infrastructures
and low level of life stemming out from here. Javakhetia has one
important privilege that other Georgian regions lack: it has flat
areas that can be used for agricultural purposes.

– What kind of economic projects have been elaborated for this region?

– In its projects of Javakhetia development the Georgian government
accentuates development of productive forces. The road network is the
first to be restored. I don’t want to say that the roads are in
“tragic” state, as I know the condition of roads in Racha-Lechkhumi or
Svanetia regions especially after the floods in spring.

The Georgian government has to care for the whole country not only for
a particular region. Yet, the government has allocated and will
continue to allocate money for reconstruction of the roads. The
president’s fund has assigned 1 million Lari ($500.000) for
reconstruction of only Akhalkalak’s inner road network.

I think that the railway is the only factor for this region’s
development. Regretfully, the Marabda-Akhalkalak railway was robbed
and sold as non-ferrous metal in early 1990s. It’s obvious that this
route demands reconstruction. The fact that the railroad stretches up
to the Turkish border will make it possible to turn the region into a
transit zone with economic benefits. Only fancy that Tbilisi-Vienna
train will stop in Akhalkalak. It also means improvement of regional
infrastructures.

The railway passing through Javakhetia will by no means hamper
reopening of Gyumri-Kars railway once Armenian-Turkish relations
improve. We are for the soonest reopening of Gyumri-Kars railway. It
should be no obstacle for reconstruction of an international railway
through Javakhetia.

– The Russian military base of Akhalkalak is to be withdrawn by
2008. What will fill the gap?

– The withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia is first of all in the
interests of Russia. President Putin declared recently that those
bases play no defensive role. What’s the meaning of keeping its bases
in a foreign country at the expense of Russian taxpayers?

As far as I know, the base in Akhalkalak will be replaced by a
Georgian military unite. The leadership of my country has declared for
several times that no foreign base will occupy the place of Russian
ones.

It’s often talked about the Russian base as an economic factor in the
region. But the real number of employees is very small. The Georgian
government has already taken steps to improve social conditions of
locals.

President Saakashvili, as you know, gave instructions to supply
Georgian armed forces with agricultural goods of Javakhetia only. That
will add momentum to agricultural development of the region and will
considerably improve social conditions there.

– Majority of population in Samtskhe-Javakhetia, particularly the
regions of Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda are Armenians. Doesn’t this fact
require special approach as regards political and economic aspects?

– Georgia is a multinational country. There are very few monoethnic
countries in the world. Besides Armenia, which turned into a
monoethnic state in the last years, there are Japan, both Koreas and
post-war Poland. Georgia goes in the footsteps of Europe in creating
favorable conditions for minorities. We will spur cultural and
economic development in those areas where national minorities live. It
concerns Javakhetia and Qvemo Qartli (the Azeri population here
exceeds the Armenian in Javakhetia twice) and other regions populated
by Abkhazians, Ossetians and others. Georgia displays “special
approach” to all of them. But our primary goal is to make every
citizen of Georgia, regardless his/her nationality, feel comfortable
in their only homeland, in Georgia.

In Javakhetia, for instance, the schools need repair. Reconstruction
is already under way. The only school that is being repaired on money
from the president’s fund is the school of Gandza in
Ninotsminda. Sensitivity to social problems of Javakhetia will not die
away henceforth, too.

– Mr. Ambassador we know that you are a scientist, a professor. You
also show interest in literature. Is literature a hobby for you?

– My father, Givi Gachechiladze, was a writer, a translator of poetry
(particularly from English). He translated the works of Byron, Shelly
and numerous tragedies of Shakespeare and all of his sonnets into
Georgian. I grew up in an atmosphere of literature that’s why I highly
appreciate good literature, especially poetry. As a young man I used
to write too, but never published anything. I took up science,
history of the Middle East and geography of the Middle East and
Georgia. These are humanitarian sciences, and when one writes articles
on history or geography he cannot avoid literary quotations.