AZERBAIJANI MEMBER OF GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT: THE "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" WILL NOT BE RECOGNIZED IN GEORGIA – EXCLUSIVE

APA
April 13 2010
Azerbaijan

Tbilisi. Nizami Mammadzadeh – APA. Armenian community in Georgia
appealed to President and parliament and asked to recognize the
happenings of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

Member of the Georgian parliament Ramin Bayramov told APA’s Georgia
bureau that the Armenians’ appeal was a ridiculous step.

"Armenians raise this issue all over the world. Now the Armenians
living in Georgia have started it. But it is useless. Georgia will not
pass such a decision, because Turkey is Georgia’s friend and strategic
partner. The Turkish government has offered Armenia several times to
review the issue with the participation of the historians and open
archives. Armenians do not agree to this proposal. I think first of
all historians, not politicians should solve this dispute. Politicians
may express their opinion after archives are opened and some obscure
issues are clarified," he said.

Advisor of the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia Shovgi Mehdizadeh called
Armenians’ appeal "provocative propaganda".

"Everybody knows it. They are trying to realize their intention. The
issue on "Armenian genocide" is used by many countries as a pressure
on Turkey. Historians have not expressed their opinion on the issue.

Archives have not been opened. In this case, interference of any
parliament in this issue and political decision mean yielding to
provocation," he said.

Chairperson of the Association of Azerbaijani Students in Georgia
Samira Ismayilova said they were preparing an appeal to Georgian
parliament.

"We have noted in the appeal to the speaker of the parliament that this
issue is not worth considering, because it contradicts the interests
of Turkey and Azerbaijan, friends of Georgia. Before the parliaments,
"Armenian genocide" claims should be considered by the historians of
the related countries," she said.