INTEGRATION BUT NOT ASSIMILATION
By Tatoul Hakobian

AZG Armenian Daily #173
28/09/2005

Diaspora

NGOs of Javakhk Demand Wide Autonomy Within Georgia

On September 23-24, the Armenian NGOs of Samtskhe-Javakhk region held
their 3d assembly in Akhalkalak within the frameworks of “Integration
but not Assimilation” initiative. The assembly adopted a resolution at
the end of the meeting. In a phone conversation with Azg, head of Virq
Party, Davit Rstakian, informed that a number of active organizations
of Javakhk took part in the assembly (“Javakhk” movement, JEM, Akunq,
A-Info and Virq).

The resolution they passed says that “only federally united Georgia
can secure final stability in the region as well as territorial
wholeness of the country… Unbalance approach in the state structures
to national minorities can damage Georgia’s international authority
and the democratic tendencies in the country”.

The Armenian organizations of Javakhk outlined the necessary steps for
the Georgian government to take in regard to national minorities:
“Granting Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakhk and Kvemo-Kartli
regions the status of an autonomous subject within Federal Georgia
with wide autonomy including the right of holding free elections
for of all autonomous bodies; granting Armenian language the status
of official along with Georgian; appropriate subsidies from state
budget for preserving and developing the national identity, culture,
language and history of the nations living in Samtskhe-Javakhk”.

The Russian and Georgia mass media widely covered the meeting. While
Moscow stresses the demand of autonomy, Tbilisi labeled the organizers
of the assembly extremists and separatists. Davit Rstakian told Azg
that “we are the owners of this land” and “we organized this assembly”
to give truthful assessment to present problems.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress