Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Aug 9 2008

Azerbaijani Georgians not to keep out of war with Ossetians

09 August 2008 [12:55] – Today.Az

It is the third day that war for restoration of territorial integrity
has started in neighbor Georgia.

The politicized part of Azerbaijanis is worried and keeps a
wait-and-see position: supporting Georgia’s intentions, people make a
provision: "let’s see what Russia will do".

The heaviest emotional spirit is in Qakh and Zaqatala regions of
Azerbaijan, partially settled by ethnic Georgians. Both regions are
said to account for 50,000 Ingiloy Georgians. These people have close
ties with Georgia, often visiting it and having relatives there. Their
children usually study at Georgian high schools.

According to Novosti-Azerbaijan, ethnic Georgians-citizens of
Azerbaijan in Qakh – worriedly wait for the news from Georgia, getting
information about war in South Ossetia from both official mass medias,
as well as telephones, directly from the subscribers of the neighbor
country.

There is a transport communication between our countries, and
according to the Qakh Georgians, who wished to stay unknown, some
young people of Georgian nationality have already crossed the
Azerbaijani-Georgian border with a firm intention to help Georgia to
restore its territorial integrity.

By Azerbaijani laws, such behavior is considered a crime, as it falls
under the law, banning illegal military formations, but these people
can not be stopped by it. On the other side, Georgian young people,
having Azerbaijani citizenship, study at the high schools in Georgia,
which means that they will not preserve aloofness, if their
fellow-students go to fight in Ossetia.

"Our guys were protecting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in
the war with Armenia. They are also ready to sacrifice their lives for
our mother Georgia", said Gergi Japaridze, resident of Gakhengilov
village of Qakh, Azerbaijan.

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