Armenian official upbeat on cooperation with Georgia in ethnic region

Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan
2 Aug 05

Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan has recently visited
Javakhk where together with his Georgian counterpart they discussed
and identified a number of problems connected with joint investments
in this Armenian-populated region of Georgia. The prime minister’s
adviser and deputy chairman of the “Powerful Motherland” party,
Stepan Markaryan, commented on this.

[Correspondent Ayots Ashkar] Mr Markaryan, joint programmes will be
implemented in Javakhk. Is there a guarantee that the Georgian party
will fulfil its obligations?

[Markaryan] There is no guarantee, as no agreement was signed. But the
attitude of the present-day Georgian authorities toward the matter
and the general impression from their working style inspire hope
for a positive outcome. Armenia expressed readiness to take part in
improving the situation in Javakhk, in particular in the humanitarian
sphere. I mean, supplies of textbooks and provision of support for
schools, cultural centres and the health service system.

The Georgian side intends to provide the main bulk of aid in 2007, when
it will receive money from the USA under the millennium programme. They
propose to invest a total 120m US dollars in Javakhk, in particular
for restoring the roads leading to the Armenian border.

I think it is important that the Georgian side responded positively
to our proposal to set up an Armenian-Georgian University in
Akhalkalak. We hope that a relevant agreement will be signed in the
near future.

[Correspondent] What is the situation in the health service system?
There are reports that the Georgian side is implementing a doctors’
training course and that Armenian doctors who do not know the Georgian
language are to be dismissed.

[Markaryan] There are two district hospitals in Akhalkalak and
Ninotsminda. The situation in the Akhalkalak hospital is better. But
on the whole the system is ruined and needs serious investments. I
am not aware of this information regarding the doctors’ training,
but I do not think that the Georgians will dismiss doctors who do
not know the language. There are not enough doctors in the region
and they require more, as well as medical equipment. The Armenian
side said it was ready to help with equipment as much as it can.

[Correspondent] Don’t you find the policy of the present Georgian
government different from that of the previous one?

[Markaryan] In general, at Shevardnadze’s time there was also a
positive attitude towards our initiatives. But all our arrangements
remained on paper. Agreements were made even at the presidential level,
but everything got stuck in the middle at the medium and low official
levels. There was a special type of Georgian functionaries with false
sense of patriotism who hindered the initiatives because they thought
this benefited their country, although results differed. Actually,
we notice the approach of today’s authorities of Georgia and their
ideological difference. That is to say, they admit the problems and
the need to resolve them. Whether they have a potential to settle
them is another matter. For this reason they are very careful in
their statements, thus they did not promise much during the last
meeting. They just said that some major investments and changes are
expected in 2007.