PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenians of Javakhk concerned over the fact that their fate depends
on Georgia’s problems with its former autonomies
20.09.2007 16:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `It’s important that Samtskhe-Javakheti is mostly
inhabited by Armenians. The Armenian population makes 90 per cent in
Akhalkalaki and 55-60 per cent in the region. It’s worth mentioning
that Georgia was always concerned over `separatist moods’ of Javakhk
Armenians, who do not treat Georgia like homeland. It refers to
language, education and culture. Georgia is trying to change the
demographic situation in the region, however in vain. Deportation of
Turks-Meskhetians in 1944 fundamentally changed the demography of the
region. The government of the Georgian Soviet Republic launched a
large-scale settlement program after WWII. Bringing Georgians from
other regions of the country, the government wished to break the
domination of Armenians,’ expert at the Caucasus Media Institute,
historian and political scientist Sergei Minasyan said in an interview
with PanARMENIAN.Net.

`It should be noted that the number of Armenians in Javakhk, despite
the high rate of birth (one of the highest among Armenians throughout
the globe), has not undergone serious changes,’ he said.

`In mid 1990-ies the Georgian President decreed to form a new
administrative unit – the Samtskhe Javakheti region which included the
Borzhom region (with the population of 33.3 thousand people, 10 per
cent of whom were Armenians). According to the Georgian Constitution,
any unit can be determined only after complete restoration of
Georgia’s jurisdiction throughout the state. Before the settlement of
Abkhazian and South Ossetian conflicts, administrative governance is
exercised by the President’s plenipotentiaries. However, the institute
of plenipotentiaries (also called governors) doesn’t have an
appropriate legal basis. The Armenian population is concerned over the
fact that their fate depends on Georgia’s problems with its former
autonomies. Furthermore, as result of instability the overwhelming
majority of the Russian and Russian-speaking population fled the
country. Molokans and Dukhobors emigrated to Russia and Canada.
Following the `order’ of first Georgian President Zviyad Gamsakhurdia
to create a Georgian buffer between Armenia and Javakhk, the villages
of Dukhobors were settled by Ajarians. However, increase of Tbilisi’s
pressure on Armenians can produce a reverse effect,’ he said.