SECOND FRONT FOR ARMENIA TO BECOME FOURTH ONE FOR GEORGIA
Regnum, Russia
March 14 2006
“Claim for autonomy for the Armenian-populated Georgian region of
Samtskhe-Javakheti is an approach by the local population. There is no
political implication, all the problems are of social nature,” Head
of the Armenian Republican Faction Galust Saakyan has said on March
14. According to him, all the regional problems should be settled
on the basis of Armenian-Georgian talks. By the way, Galust Saakyan
disagreed with Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze, who had
said that “in Akhalkalaki District of Georgia there some forces that
try to increase tension between the Armenian and Georgian population.”
In his turn, Head of the National Revival Party Albert Bazeyan
announced that the Armenian authorities should try to influence the
processes at the top level to escape more aggravation of tension:
“we do not need another unfriendly neighbor.” “Apart from the social
issues of the Armenian population of Javakh mentioned above, there is
a series of political problems, issues concerning preservation of the
national originality. I think, the question of granting the status
of cultural autonomy to this region should be discussed,” said Bazeyan.
Meanwhile, as a REGNUM correspondent reports, representatives of Javakh
Union at a meeting with the press spoke for holding a referendum
in Javakheti, “that will make it clear what the Javakheti people
want: either living in Georgia, Armenia, Russia or another state, or
gaining independence.” Answering the question, whether the escalation
of tension in Javakheti contains a treat that Armenia would obtain
the second front taking into consideration the unsettled Karabakh
issue, members of the council said: “Why should we be afraid of the
second front? If we have a second front, by Georgia it will be the
fourth one.”
The Javakh Council also adopted a statement addressed to the Armenian
and Georgian authorities.
The statement says that “the Javakh Council has repeatedly appealed to
the Armenian authorities to pay appropriate attention to the problems
of Javakh Armenians and to acknowledge the political element in these
problems,” but “the appeals remained unanswered.” As the statement runs
further, the Georgian party “was inspired by the total indifference of
the Armenian authorities,” which made the former to be “more unruly.”
The authors of the statement do not rule out that “third parties,
in particular, Azerbaijan and Turkey, would participate in kindling
anti-Armenian activities.” The council puts responsibility for all
incidents to the Georgian government and the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The council condemned anti-Armenian activities and demonstration
of national discrimination, expressed its support for Armenians in
Javakheti and urged the Armenian government to call upon the Georgian
government to condemn and punish instigators of the anti-Armenian
activities.
It also called the Armenian authorities together with the Georgian
party to work out an action plan towards justified settlement of all
the problems of Javakh, including political ones.
The Javakh Council assured that it would its utmost to protect
Armenians of Javakh and Georgia, to prevent from expelling Armenians
from the region. It also promised “to make an appropriate counterstrike
to anti-Armenian provocations.”