GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REFUTES INFORMATION BY AZERI MASS MEDIA

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 17 2006

At the request of ArmInfo, the Georgian Foreign Ministry Department for
Press and Information, refuted the statement by Azerbaijani Mass Media.

Thursday, some Azerbaijani Media spread information that 60 Georgian
scientists- members of the National Assembly of Georgia applied
to President Saakashvili for recognition of Georgian genocide by
Armenians. Azerbaiajni agency Trend reports the Georgian scientists
as stating that "in 1993 military formation "Baghramyan" together
with Abkhazians fought against the Georgian army. As a result, the
Georgians residing in Abkhazia were killed. Before the settlement
of Armenians in Javakheti, Georgia, by Tsarist Russia, there were no
Armenians in this region. However, now Javakheti is indicated as part
of Armenia. Armenians present the Georgian monuments as their own.

All this has a systematic nature. That is why, it should be considered
a genocide of the Georgian people." According to the given statement,
Ambassador of Georgia to Azerbaijan Zurab Gumberidze has allegedly
stated that Georgian scientists had definite grounds for such
statement.

However, at the request of ArmInfo, the Georgian FM Department for
Press and Information stated that Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan
has not made such statement. In this connection, the Georgian Embassy
in Azerbaijan has already come out with a relevant statement. The
press-service of the Georgian Embassy to Azerbaijan told ArmInfo
that on November 16, Trend agency and other media spread information
on the statement by Ambassador Zurab Gumberidze on the application
of Georgian scientists to President Saakashivili for recognition of
Georgian genocide by Armenians. The press-service reports that the
statement by Ambassador Gumberidze was misinterpreted. The Ambassador
stated that he has no official information in this connection. The
Ambassador said he was informed of this information in Mass Media.

Hence, the Ambassador could not say that the scientists had grounds
when raising the question of Georgian genocide by Armenians, the
press-service reports.