ARMENIANS CHANGE NATIONALITY AND COME TO AZERBAIJAN FROM GEORGIA – NGO REPRESENTATIVE IN GEORGIA

Trend News Agency
Feb 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 12 February / Trend News corr. S.Ilhamgizi /
Armenians who received Azerbaijani passports in Georgia, came to
Azerbaijan to live and work in the country, Sabir Mehtiyev, the head
of Georgia is my Motherland organization in the village of Sadakhli
of the Marneul region, stated.

According to Mehtiyev, about 1mln Azerbaijanis lived in Georgia till
1990, but the number made up 702,000 after the election of Michael
Saakashvili as the President. At present, the number totals 200,000
to 250,000.

"No Azerbaijanis will remain in Georgia if no changes take place in
the country during the next four to five months," Mehtiyev stated.

"The market in the Marneul region of Georgia, where Azerbaijanis
worked, was closed and replaced in a village in Armenia as a result
of measures taken by Armenians. However, 700 to 800 Azerbaijanis
still work in the market, crossing the border daily," Mehtiyev said.

Mehtiyev stated that Armenians living in Marneul purchase Azerbaijani
passports and come to Azerbaijan and other countries as well.

According to the information, about 400 Armenians by origin live
and work in the country. However, according to Armenians living
in Georgia, there are 250,000 Armenians living in the territory of
Azerbaijan. There are intelligence officers among Armenians sent by
Dashnaks to Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani National Security Ministry informed Trend that
the Ministry takes measures directed against national and state
interests of the country. Arif Babayev, the head of the Centre on
Public Relations at the Ministry, said that the people who stated that
there is intelligence officers among Armenians living in Azerbaijan
can submit their facts to the Ministry.