‘IT IS NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH AN ENVIRONMENT OF INTER-ETHNIC TOLERANCE IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS IN JAVAKHQ,’ CHIEF EDITOR OF AKUNQ NEWSPAPERS SAYS
Yerkir.am
June 22, 2007
"Statement about the Armenians being separatists are openly made
in Georgia. In other words, they are claiming that the Armenians in
Javakhq with the support from Armenia are preparing the ground for
replicating the Karabagh scenario in Georgia," Chief Editor of Akunq
Newspaper in Javakhq Mels Torossian stated at a press conference on
June 21.
Torossian says these ungrounded statements have become the daily
material for the Georgian media. Even thought the official circles
avoid conversations on this issue but the public media still comment
on it.
Torossian believes Azerbaijan and Turkey are behind this plot of
spreading hostility between Armenia and Georgia. An environment of
inter-ethnic tolerance must be established in order to solve the
problems in Javakhq.
Deputy Director of the Caucasus Media Institute Sergey Minassian
believes the anti-Armenian moods in Georgia derive from the fact that
the Georgian society and the political elite still perceive Armenia
as being closely connected with Russia’s politics. Minassian believes
the Armenians in Javakhq are not integrated into the Georgian society
and this is not their fault. "The Georgian society is not yet ready
to accept the Georgian Armenians as equal citizens and does everything
to hinder this process," Minassian noted.