GEORGIA BENEFITS FROM DISPUTE BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

Lragir.am
18-06-2007 14:34:04

On June 18 the Hayeli Club hosted the leader of the Javakheti Union
of Compatriots, the deputy leader of the Hzor Hayrenik Party, Member
of Parliament Shirak Torosyan and the director of Mkhitar Sebastatsi
School Ashot Bleyan for a debate on the issues of Javakheti and the
Armenian and Georgian relations in general.

The first thinks the Georgian government is to blame for the problems
the Armenians of Javakheti are facing; the second blames the Armenian
government. Shirak Torosyan thinks the poor state of Javakheti is the
consequence of the behavior of the Georgian government; Georgia has
joined the European declaration on the rights of ethnic minorities but
with reservations. On signing the declaration the country commits to
creating conditions for preserving the language and culture of ethnic
minorities, and if the ethnic minority is from the neighboring country,
it must sign an agreement with the neighboring country. Georgia does
not honor this point of the declaration. "Roads and schools are not
repaired and are ruined," Shirak Torosyan said. According to him,
if these problems aggravate, the 150 thousand Armenians of Javakheti
will leave their homes.

"They are already leaving."

Ashot Bleyan thinks the government should attend to the problems of
the issues of Javakheti, not the unions of compatriots, we should have
the biggest embassy to Georgia, the Armenians of Javakheti must learn
Georgian fast to integrate with life in Georgia, enjoy the freedoms,
take part in solving their problems. Shirak Torosyan said it is not
their fault that the Armenians of Javakheti do not speak Georgian. The
Georgian government does not send specialists and as a result "there is
no confidence between the government and the Armenians of Javakheti,
the government reinforces the security agencies, the Armenians of
Javakheti have no anticipations from the government." Ashot Bleyan
suggests that Armenia Foundation fund classes of Georgian for the
Armenians of Javakheti.

Ashot Bleyan thinks Javakheti is part of the Armenian Diaspora. Shirak
Torosyan disagrees. Javakheti is not Diaspora, in Javakheti the
Armenians live in their historical territory. Ashot Bleyan thinks if
our government is against the construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki
railroad, the implementation of this project will be the failure of
the Armenian government. But the railroad will benefit the Armenians
of Javakheti.

"They will get infrastructures, jobs." "It is good that the Russian
military bases were pulled out of Georgia, Georgia controls its
border. It is bad that Armenia does not control its border. It is
good that the Armenians of Javakheti reject the ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s
or the Javakheti Armenian messages from Armenia."

Ashot Bleyan who criticizes the Armenian government for making no
efforts regarding the issue of Javakheti stated that for 15 years
the Georgian government did not have a possibility to attend to the
problems of Javakheti, and has just started to attend. Ashot Bleyan
believes that Armenia and Georgia are objectively economic rivals
like Armenia and Azerbaijan are objectively partners. "And as long
as Armenia and Azerbaijan have not settled their problems, Georgia
will benefit."