GEORGIAN MP SAYS OFFICIAL STATUS FOR ARMENIAN LANGUAGE “UNREALISTIC”

Kavkas-Press
16 Mar 06

Tbilisi, 16 March: [Pro-government ethnic Armenian] MP Van Baiburt
says that calls by some Armenians in Akhalkalaki for Armenian to be
given the status of an official language are unrealistic. Baiburt
told Kavkas-Press that he categorically rules out the possibility
that this demand could increase tension in Akhalkalaki and believes
this would only be in the interests of those organizations trying to
provoke protests with this demand.

Baiburt said that this should not be seen as the united opinion of the
Armenian diaspora in Georgia. “We feel that the Georgian authorities
are not imposing any restrictions. The Georgian government is taking
into account the situation of Akhalkalaki Armenians and because no-one
has taught them Georgian, the government has agreed to allow official
business to be conducted in Armenian in the area,” Baiburt said.

The MP called on his brethren to follow the example of ethnic
minorities in other countries and acquire an elementary knowledge of
the official language.

Baiburt said that it is not the Armenians’ fault that they do not
know Georgian. “It is the fault of time,” he said. “So that Armenians
can live comfortably, have jobs and teachers, the local council and
administration head should look for investors and grants to deal with
this problem,” Baiburt told Kavkas-Press.