Ethni c Minorities in Georgia-Interview Part II
with Dr. Sergey Minasyan
Sergey Minasyan is a political scientist and holds a Ph.D. in
History. His numerous publications focus on regional security and
conflicts in the South Caucasus. He has headed the Yerevan based
Caucasus Media Institute (CMI) Caucasus Studies Department since March
2006.
In 1998, Sergey was awarded an MA at the Department of International
Relations, Yerevan State University. In 2002, he defended his
Ph.D. thesis on Military History of Armenia at the Institute of
History, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Since 2002, he has
lectured on the theory of international relations and regional
security at various institutes and universities of Armenia. In
2003-2006, he headed the Scientific Research Centre for South Caucasus
Security and Integration Studies.
Usanogh: Dr. Minasyan, very recently you have published a book titled
`Ethnic Minorities in Georgia: Potential for Integration. A Case Study
of the Country’s Armenian Population’. What did motivate you to write
this book?
Sergey Minasyan: My main goal of writing this book was to explain to
Georgian authorities, political forces in Georgia and to Armenians of
Javakhk the legal framework that requires the Georgian government to
protect the ethnic minorities in Georgia by highlighting the
international obligations that the Georgian government has taken upon
itself to implement, show real life examples of such obligations being
implemented elsewhere, and to provide suggestions on how to resolve
various problems experienced by the Armenian population of Javakhk.
Usanogh: When did you decide to write this book?
SM: This book was the end result of my analytical work about Javakhk
and the Armenian community of Georgia as a whole, which I have been
engaged in for the last several years.
Usanogh: What did you find out about the Armenians of Javakhk as you
were doing your research to write this book?
SM: Armenians of Javakhk have made major contributions in the
development and political life of post-Soviet Armenia. One of such
contributions was their active participation in the liberation
struggle of Artsakh. They are very patriotic and attached to their
ancestral lands. At the same time they have became hostages of history
and geopolitics and as such their fate depends upon the general
development of Armenia-Georgia interstate relations.
Usanogh: How long did you research before your book got published and
what sources did you use in writing your book?
SM: Although I have been studying this topic for several years now,
the concrete realization of this project was possible thanks to active
support of Yerkir NGO on repatriation and settlement ()
and was published by the Caucasus Media Institute
within one year.
My main sources for writing this book were the interviews that I have
conducted with residents of Javakhk, representatives from various
political organizations and non-governmental groups, representatives
of Georgian government, international organizations and various
international experts who work on issues of protecting the rights of
minorities, etc. Aside that, I have also analyzed Georgian
legislations and legal framework in regards to ethnic minorities, and
have studied and analyzed relevant international laws, conventions and
documents and their applicability to corresponding legislations
adopted by the Georgian government in their own country. I have also
utilized various foreign media reports and expert studies that were
published on this topic.
Usanogh: Do you think that granting autonomy to the Armenians of
Javakhk will resolve various economical and political problems
experienced by our compatriots in that province?
SM: Of course, the granting of autonomy to the Armenians of Javakhk
could be the solution of political and economic problems experienced
by them. However we need to take into consideration that the Georgian
public has negative attitudes associated with the word `autonomy’
itself, (due to the negative consequences of the last decade,
associated with conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which as a
result of wars have territorially detached themselves from Georgia),
and as such it is unlikely that any compromise with the Georgian
authorities and the Georgian public in general could be expected on
this issue. At the same time I believe that there is a room for
dialogue and possibility to achieve mutual compromises between the
interests of Georgian majority and the interests of Armenian minority
in Javakhk.
In my opinion the optimal solution of this problem that could be
realized is granting to Javakhk a wider local, self-government and
perks in terms of allowing the Armenians to study school subjects in
Armenian language, as well as allowing them to conduct daily business
and legal matters in Armenian language, and allowing locally
registered political parties representing the interests of Armenian
community of Javakhk to freely function. This way the level of social
and political tensions prevailing in Javakhk will subside and the
possibility of local confrontation will sharply decline. These steps
will also result in more efficient work of local governments through
out the Georgia, and in case of Javakhk specifically, it will attain
the status of asymmetric regional self government (by providing a
specific approach to the rights and functions of regional public
organizations, resolution of educational and linguistic problems and
preservation of culture and traditions of the local population).
I would like to hope that the protection of ethnic and religious
minorities’ rights in Georgia will be an important part in Georgia’s
drive for euro-Atlantic integration. Possible membership of Georgia in
NATO that would become possible after successful completion of MAP
(Membership Action Plan) will create the necessary prerequisites for
the Georgian government to pay serious attention to their
international obligations in defending basic human rights, language
rights, and ethnic and religious minorities’ rights, first of all in
Javakhk.
Usanogh: How will the closure of Russian base in Javakhk affect the
economic well being of Javakhk Armenians?
SM: Russian base had a significant influence on economic life of the
region, but with every passing year that influence has decreased and
at this point its influence is not decisive. The more important source
of economic influence in the region is the money transfers made by the
region’s inhabitants who depart for seasonal work in Russia.
In the eyes of the world and European community, throughout the
post-soviet years, the experts in Georgia have used the presence of
Russian military base in Akhalkalak, the administrative capital of
Javakhk, as an excuse for their political passivity to resolve the
socio-economic and political problems experienced by the Armenian
inhabitants of the region.
Usanogh: In your opinion will the economic reconstruction funds being
provided to Georgia by the American Millennium Challenge Account
improve the socio-economic situation of Javakhk’s Armenians?
SM: In case of a successful implementation of this project the
socio-economic impact upon the Armenian populated Javakhk will be
significant, since according to the project the majority of funds will
be devoted to the construction and rehabilitation of 245 km of local
roads. At the same time it is worth to mention that improvement of
strategic road communications in Georgia will be very beneficial to
Georgia as a whole, since various transportation problems that exist
between Georgia and Turkey will be resolved. On the other hand, it
would have been more efficient if a significant portion of the funds
allocated by the United States government was intended for resolving
the socio-economic problems in the region, such as increasing the
region’s capacity to manufacture goods, instead of resolving political
goals of Georgian, Turkish and Azerbaijani geopolitics.
Usanogh: What were the political and economic consequences of
constructed Baku-Cheyan oil pipeline upon the residents of Javakhk?
SM: At one time the inhabitants of Javakhk harbored certain hopes with
the construction of Baku-Cheyan oil pipeline through their
territory. It was anticipated that along with this projects large
number of work places will be created for implementation and servicing
of this pipeline, which would have positively impacted on the overall
socio-economic situation in Javakhk. However, due to the politically
motivated decision of the Georgian government to change the rout of
this pipeline, that was supposed to go through the Armenian village of
Karzakh of the Akhalkalak region, located on the Turkish border, and
rerouting of it through the regions of Akhalktskha and Borjom, have
excluded the Javakhk region once again from a number of major
investments projects. Multimillion dollar aid packages associated
with the construction of this pipeline have also circumvented the
region.
Usanogh: How do you view the involvement of Armenian student and youth
organizations in political processes taking place in Javakhk?
SM: I think that the best way that students from Armenia and Diaspora
can get involved in processes taking place in Javakhk would be through
informing world community via various media outlets, and especially in
the western press, about the situation in Javakhk, organize trips to
Javakhk for volunteer work, collection of funds to support the
Armenians of Javakhk and engaged in active lobbying campaign in
defense of minority rights in Georgia.
Usanogh: Have you had you book translated in other languages?
SM: Yes, my book got published in Russian and Armenian languages, and
a short version of my book got published in English and Georgian
languages, while the French version of my book is currently being
prepared. In a near future, a copy of my book in all languages will
become available on the web site of Caucasus Media Institute
()
Usanogh: Is you book available for purchase either in the United
States, Canada or Europe?
SM: We are planning on delivering a number of copies of my book to
Europe, Canada and the United States, however they are not going to be
sold there, but instead they will be available for free public
distribution among the experts and general public, including
representatives of Armenian Diaspora.
Usanogh: Dr. Minasyan, we congratulate you with the publication of
your most recent book and thank you very much for taking your time to
answer our questions. We wish you all the best in your future
endeavors!
SM: Thanks to you also for your attention to the publication of my
book, and for your interest toward problems of Armenians of Javakhk. I
also wish you and all your colleagues-Armenian students in the United
States of America and Canada all the best in your work and
accomplishment of all of your goals.