AMBASSADOR OF ARMENIA TO GEORGIA VISITS JAVAKHK TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH SITUATION AT PLACE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Hrach Silvanian,
the RA Ambassador to Georgia visited the Samtskhe-Javakhetsi region on
April 15-16. The goal of the visit was to meet with representatives of
the regional administration, regional authorities as well as of public
organizations to get acquainted with the situation at place. First,
the RA Ambassador visited the Saint Gregory the Illuminator church
of Akhaltskha, then a meeting with high grades students, teachers and
representatives of the intellectuals of the region took place at the
Akhaltskha Armenian school. The RA Ambassador presented the meeting
participants the present state of the Armenian-Georgian relations,
programs implemented and envisaged by the authorities of Georgia
and Armenia to improve the social-economic state of the region, he
also touched upon a number of issues causing anxiety of the Armenian
society of Georgia, including the educational reforms implemented in
the country. Then a meeting with the Georgian President’s Authorized
Vice-Representative to the Samtskhe-Javakhetsi, the Akhatskha Mayor,
heads of the legislative and executive bodies of the region took
place in the building of the Mayor’s Office. Issues relating to the
social-economic state of the region were discussed. The Akhaltskha
Mayor proposed to discuss the idea of establishing a close cooperation
between Akhaltskha and a city of Armenia. The Ambassador’s next meeting
was with Giorgy Khachidze, the Authorized Representative of Georgia to
the Samtskhe-Javakhk region which took place in Akhalkalak. Hamlet
Movsisian, a deputy elected at the Parliament of Georgia from
Akhalkalak and Melik Raisian, a deputy elected by proportional order
participated in the meeting as well. G.Khachidze presented programs
addressed to settlement of the social-economic problems of the region,
events implemented during the recent period of time. Then he touched
upon the new law on electing the local self-govenrment bodies,
taking into account that those elections will take place already
this autumn. The necessity of establishing a close cooperation
between the administration of the region and the Embassy was also
discussed at the meeting. The RA Ambassador also raised the issue of
founding the Armenian-Georgian University in the region about which
the agreement was reached between the RA and Georgian Prime Ministers
during 2005. At the end of the conversation Khachidze thanked the RA
authorities for constant assistance shown to Javakhk. Late the same
day, the RA Ambassador visited Ninodsminda where he participated
in the Easter liturgy celebrated in the Surb Sargis Church. Then,
as Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press
and Information Department, a meeting took place with heads of the
executive and legislative bodies of Ninotsminda, the Mayor and Henzel
Mkoyan, a member of the Georgian Parliament elected from the region of
Ninotsminda. The RA Ambassador’s meeting with representatives of public
organizations of the region took place the next day, on April 16, in
Akhalkalak. At Ambassador Silvanian’s request, participants presented
problems of the society of Javakhk. The RA Ambassador also visited the
Surb Khach (Saint Cross) church of Akhalkalak and participated in the
Easter Liturgy and the following celebration. Georgian President’s
Authorized Representative G.Khachidze participated in the church
service as well. A.Amirkhanian, the Georgian President’s Authorized
Vice-Representative to the Samtskhe-Javakhetsi region accompanied
the RA Ambassador during the visit to the region. The visit was held
during the days of the Easter holiday and took place jointly with
the visit of Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, primate of the Virahayots
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The RA Ambassador returned
Tbilisi on late April 16.