ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF JAVAKHK ASKS RA PRESIDENT FOR DISCUSSING A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS REGARDING TERRITORY’S NATIVE ARMENIAN POPULATION WITH GEORGIAN PRESIDENT

Noyan Tapan
June 18, 2009

MOSCOW, JUNE 18, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A letter by
representatives of the Javakhk territory of Georgia populated by
Armenians has been received from Moscow. The letter is addressed to
RA President Serzh Sargsyan. Below is the letter’s text presented
completely:

"Mr President,

The Armenian community of Javakhk is deeply concerned with the
increasing aggravation of the social-political situation in the
Samtskhe-Javakhk-Tsalka region. We cannot but see approaching threats
connected with obvious illegal actions of Georgian authorities to
region’s native Armenian population.

To prevent the negative consequences maturing in the region, on the
eve of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s visit to Armenia,
we, the Armenian community of Javakhk, apply to you with the request
to consider the following issues and to include them in your coming
meeting’s agenda:

– issue of giving the local self-government right to the region,

– issue of giving the status of additional state language to the
Armenian language in the region,

– issue of returning its historic monuments and sacred places to the
Armenian community of Georgia,

– issue of immediate release of political prisoner Vahagn Chakhalian,

– issue of opening the Verin Lars check-point,

– issue of opening Tbilisi University’s branch in Javakhk,

– issue of permitting Armenians of Javakhk to be granted dual
citizenship.

We, the Armenian community of Javakhk, mention that all residents
of Javakhk are vitally interested in Georgia’s political stability
and economic prosperity, progressive development of modern system of
political democracy in Georgia."