SARKISIAN PROPOSES MEASURES TO ‘ALLEVIATE’ PLIGHT OF JAVAKHK ARMENIANS

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Sep 2, 2009

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)-Addressing a gathering of senior Armenian
diplomats on September 1, President Serzh Sarkisian outlined measures
he considers necessary to help the large Armenian community in the
southern Georgian region of Javakhk integrate more successfully into
Georgian society without losing their Armenian identity.

The announcement came ahead of a scheduled visit to Armenia by
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, who will arrive in Yerevan
on Friday for talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
on bilateral relations between the two countries. Also on the agenda
are the measures Sarkisian discussed in his statement.

Those measures include granting Armenian the formal status of a
regional language, registering the Armenian Apostolic Church, and
preserving Armenian historic monuments on Georgian territory.

Granting Armenian the status of an official regional language was one
of the issues NGOs in the predominantly Armenian-populated Javakhk
region had asked Sarkisian to raise with his Georgian counterpart,
Mikheil Saakashvili, during his official visit to Tbilisi in late June.

Many Armenians in Javakhk have only a rudimentary knowledge of
Georgian, which limits their career prospects.

They also require the restoration to Armenian control a number of
churches and other historic monuments which the Georgia government
has seized, and, crucially, local self-government for the region.

The various Javakhk-based organizations have said it is of vital
interest to the community that political stability and economic
prosperity in the region be preserved and that democratic development
in Georgia continues. But they also warn of "imminent dangers" that
may result from "illegal actions" by local Georgian officials that
have exacerbated tensions in the region.

Among the other issues the Georgian NGOs are calling on Sarkisian to
raise with his Georgian counterpart is the immediate release of Vahagn
Chakhalian, a young Armenian community leader who was arrested 11
months ago and sentenced in April to 10 years in prison, Chakhalian
was arrested on unsubstantiated charges for the illegal possession
of weapons, participating in mass disorders, resisting arrest, and
"hooliganism."

The organizations are also calling for the reopening of the Verkhinii
Lars border and customs post on the Russian-Georgian border. The
gateway, if opened, would enable Armenians to travel overland to
Russia. Georgia signaled its readiness late last month to begin talks
with Moscow on reopening Verkhnii Lars. But talks have yet to begin.

Dual Armenian-Georgian citizenship for the Armenians of Javakhk-a right
provided by both countries’ constitutions-as well as the establishment
of a local branch of the Tbilisi State University in the region are
also issues Sarkisian is being asked to bring up during his talks
with Saakashvili.