12 THOUSAND ARMENIANS LIVING IN ADZHARIA HAVE PROBLEM OF SCHOOL PRESERVATION

Noyan Tapan
July 21, 2009

BATUMI, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. 12 thousand Armenians
currently live in Adzharia, including 9 thousand Armenians in the city
of Batumi. According to Marmara daily, Batumi Armenians are engaged in
small and medium business, the number of handicraftsmen is also great.

Spokesman for the Union of Armenians in Adzharia Arthur Hovhannisian
said that the most important problem of the community is the
preservation of Armenian identity, which greatly depends on solution
of educational issues.

The Armenian branch of Georgian school in Batumi has 30 pupils and 10
teachers of pension age. This year the branch did not give graduates
as no 1st grade was formed 10 years ago. "We need to save the school,
otherwise the role the community will decline to a zero level. We have
a church, a school and a consulate, but the imperative necessity is to
maintain the link with homeland and to remain faithful to our Armenian
roots. We need to keep our roots, language, traditions and customs,"
A. Hovhannisian underlined.

In his words, a House of Friendship opened in Batumi a year ago. The
offices of the Armenian, Azerbaijani, Greek, Russian, Jewish,
Ukrainian, German, and Yezidi communities are located in the House of
Friendship. The Armenian community maintains its links with Armenia
through various programs, as well as in the format of cooperation
between sister cities. The relations with homeland have become
especially active after the opening of the Armenian consulate. 3
students from Batumu currently study at universities of Armenia. It
is envisaged that 20 Armenian young people will visit Armenia under
"Ari Toun" (Come Home) Program of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

As regards the participation of Adzharian Armenians in the internal
political life of Georgia, Arthur Hovhannisian said the community
tries to be neutral as their participation in political events may
become a subject of speculation and be used against the Armenians. "We
have adopted a position of neutrality, but at the same time we assist
with solution of problems of interest to the Armenian community,"
he explained.