Armenpress

ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHETI SPEAK OF THEIR PROBLEMS

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS: Leaders of several
Armenian and Georgia-based Armenian non-governmental
organizations warned yesterday that the region of
Samtskhe-Javakheti, in the south of Georgia, populated
largely by ethnic Armenians, may lose its Armenian
population in 30 years unless urgent measures were
taken to prevent outflow of young men from the region.
The region lacks industrial enterprises for
processing of agricultural goods. Private
entrepreneurs face a set of problems at Georgia’s
border with Armenia, when dealing with customs office,
let alone the poor condition of roads. The only
‘enterprise’ that gives jobs to around 3,000 local
people is the Russian military base, which is set to
be pulled out next year. Local population accuses
central authorities in Tbilisi of ignoring their
problems, of doing nothing to attract domestic and
foreign investors, forcing thousands of young men to
look for jobs in Russia or in Armenia.
Another factor stimulating outflow of young
population is the absence of higher educational
establishments. The majority of young men and women
who get education in Russia and Armenia choose to stay
there as they see no prospect of finding jobs in the
homeland. Central authorities are transferring all
administrative bodies from Akhalkalaki, the center of
Javakheti region to Akhaltsikhe, the administrative
center of Samtskhe-Javakheti province, while all force
bodies are being concentrated in Akhalkalaki. Young
Armenian males of the region are not drafted to the
army and few of locals speaks Georgian.
Overall 100,000 Armenians live in Javakheti , who
make 95 percent of the local population, 32 percent
are people aged from 16 to 35 years, but only 7
percent have jobs, the rest are jobless. Around 9,000
young men leave the region for Russia every year to
work there and only half of them comes back home. The
yesterday’s meeting also denounced Armenian members of
the Georgian parliament who are reluctant or are
afraid to raise these issues.
Georgian ambassador Revaz Gachechiladze, who was
also present, argued that the problems faced by
Armenians of Javakheti are common for all Georgian
regions. He said more efforts should be made to
attract private investments and urged local Armenians
to learn Georgian to facilitate their integration with
the society.