GEORGIA WANTS TO EXCHANGE ARMENIAN CHURCHES RATHER THAN RETURN THEM, EXPERTS OF MITK CENTER SAY

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. While being a neighbor of Armenia
and a state that has been constantly declared as a friend of our
country, Georgia has always shown a cold hostile attitude to Armenian
cultural and religious values. Experts of Mitk analytical center Edward
Abrahamian and Vahe Sargsyan made this statement at the December 12
press conference. According to E. Arahamian, the Georgians started
demanding all the regional churches which were indicated as Georgian
monuments in Georgian historiography.

Within the framework of such a policy, in his words, Georgia makes
crazy demands with respect to about ten churches located in the
territory of Armenia. E. Abrahamian expressed an opinion that Georgia
made this demand after the Armenians had addressed the problems of
the Armenian churches "usurped" in Georgia.

"In fact, Georgia wants not to return our historical and cultural
heritage but to exchange it for churches allegedly belonging to them,"
V. Sargsyan said. In his opinion, the argument about churches will
gradually resemble the Karabakh conflict when it is proposed making
compromises as the only solution to the problem.

V. Sargsyan said that it is especially painful that recently the
Georgian Armenian clergymen together with Georgian Patriarchate
applied to the Ministry of Culture, Monument Preservation and Sports of
Georgia with the request to pay attention to Surb Norashen Church in
Tbilisi. Thus, according to the expert, the treacherous participation
of the Armenian side proved that Georgian Armenian clergymen have
doubts about Surb Norashen’s being an Armenian church.
From: Baghdasarian