SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN: WE SHOULD NOT POLITICIZE SITUATION IN JAVAKHK BUT TRY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS STEP BY STEP
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 20 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. "Of course, the
result of discussion of problems accumulated in Javakhk (region of
Samtskhe-Javakheti in Georgia populated with Armenians) at the state
level would be higher than at the level of experts and NGOs, but
we have problems and they need to be discussed," Hranush Kharatian,
Head of the Department of Armenian Government on Issues of Religion
and National Minorities, declared. At the June 20 press conference
dedicated to summing up the results of the working meeting among
experts and representatives of NGOs of Armenia and Georgia held lately
in Akhalkalak, she also emphasized that unless the political figures
have a will or possibilities to discuss the problems of Javakhk, this
should be done by experts and NGO representatives as any dialogue
is necessary.
Another participant of the working meeting, MP Shavarsh Kocharian
mentioned that Javakhk is faced with many problems, including problems
of self-government, problem of language and problems of socio-economic
character. The latters have become deeper after withdrawing the Russian
military base from Akhalkalak where 1500 local residents worked. As
the MP estimated, the situation deepens in Javakhk, which can result
in an explosion. And in this respect, in his opinion, we should not
politicize the situation but try to solve the problems we have there
step by step.
Shavarsh Kocharian mentioned that there are issues, in particular,
the issue of not mastering the Georgian language, the solution of
which requires certain time or transitional period. According to him,
no one doubts that the state language of Georgia is Georgian but
study of the Georgian language should not be done at the expense of
ousting of the Armenian language.
Hranush Kharatian expressed an analogous point of view. According to
her, if the Georgian authorities decide to be engaged in this problem,
they have no sufficient funds for this. In her opinion, a weighed
approach should be applied in this issue. While, today the Georgian
state takes hasty steps in this issue and the population of Javakhk
also reacts hastily and emotionally.
The participants of the meeting expressed the hope that this meeting
will become a prologue for further discussion of problems of Javakhk
at the level of experts and NGOs.