INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP REPORTS ON ARMENIAN, AZERI MINORITIES

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Nov 23 2006

Despite some steps undertaken by the Georgian government to improve the
lives of minorities, it has made little progress towards integrating
the Armenians and Azeris who constitute over 12% of the population,
the Belgium-based International Crisis Group said in a report on the
situation of the two minorities in Georgia.

The report says that while there is no risk of the situations becoming
threats to the state’s territorial integrity, like S.Ossetia or
Abkhazia, tensions are evident in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and
Kvemo Kartli, where the Armenian and Azeri minorities, respectively,
predominantly live.

"Tbilisi needs to pay more attention to minority rights, including
use of second languages, if it is to avoid further conflict," the
report says.

International Crisis Group outlined the inability to speak the state
language as "the minorities’ biggest problem."

The report notes that with donor support, Georgia has invested in
road and infrastructure rehabilitation in minority regions; created
a ministry for civic integration; established a public administration
institute to train minorities; and ratified the Framework Convention
for the Protection of National Minorities.

"But overall the priority has been to assert national unity over
minority protection."