Lragir, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

GEORGIA MUST HONOR RIGHTS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES

On November 25 the situation in Georgia three years after the Rose
Revolution was discussed at the Friday Club, namely the problems of
the ethnic minorities. The reason was the report of the International
Crisis Group released three days ago. The guests were Levon Zurabyan,
an expert of the International Crisis Group, Stepan Margaryan,
adviser to the Prime Minister of Armenia, and Sergey Minasyan, head
of the Department of Caucasian Studies of the Caucasian Media
Institute.

According to the ICG, in Georgia, which is building democratic
institutions and forging civic identity, there is little progress
towards integration of the Armenian and Georgian minorities
constituting 12 percent of the population. Levon Zurabyan adds,
`Georgia lacks a mechanism of dialogue with eithnic minorities. The
ethnic minorities, communities are ostracized from the life of the
country. Georgia seeks for the help of Armenia to solve the problem
of Javakheti. The problem is given a short-term solution, whereas in
depth it remains unsettled. The ICG deliberately omitted the social
and economic problems, because the equal political rights of all the
citizens of the country is primary. It is desirable to settle these
problems on the Tbilisi-Javakheti level.’ Meanwhile, there are three
groups of obstacles for the settlement of the problem: the ethnic
minorities are underrepresented in government, decentralization is
unsufficient, and there is not even cultural and educational
sovereignty, and the ethnic minorities do not speak Georgian.

The other guests agreed. Stepan Margaryan said `it is impossible to
learn Georgian in an environment where Georgian is not used. The
teachers of Georgian arrive in Javakheti with Armenians constituting
95 percent of the population, and soon they leave having learned
Armenian. Georgia does not trust Armenia, Javakheti does not trust
Georgia. Javakheti suffers from the Russian and Georgian relations.
An annual 30 thousand job migrants left for Russia, now Russia does
not grant a visa to these people. There is going to be a third party
in the Georgian and Armenian relations. It would be desirable if
there was a third party, with which we are trying to integrate.’

Sergey Minasyan views the question in terms of European integration
and notices that Georgia, which is on the track for European
integration, should adopt the European standards of honoring the
rights of the ethnic minorities. `Javakheti and Georgia should settle
the issue. Armenia and Europe can be interested parties.’ Stepan
Minasyan thinks that unlike the issue of Karabakh, there is vast
possibility for a compromise, it is only necessary to overcome fear
and prejudices and discuss the question without fear, `the report of
the ICG can be used as an argument in the negotiations with Georgia.’

The ICG recommends to `introduce legislation allowing Azeris and
Armenians, in municipalities where they exceed 20 per cent of the
population, to use their native language to communicate with
administrative authorities, submit complaints, acquire civil
documents and certificates, benefit from public services and conduct
municipal business and sakrebulo meetings’; `set quotas so that at
least 50 per cent of new entrants in the Akhalkalaki branch of the
Tbilisi State University and the Marneuli branch of the Ilya
Chavchavadze State University are minorities.’ In Armenia they
believe that thereby the problem of learning Georgian will be solved
for young people. Meanwhile, fewer young people go to this university
because they have a language problem. By the way, the Armenian
government is ready to support the Akhalkalaki branch of Tbilisi
State University.