Transcaucasian anomaly and the Javakh issue: mini-empires in the new reality
10.10.2005
Regnum News Agency
Recent developments in Akhalkalaki, a town in Georgia mostly populated by Armenians, are just a single unit in the chain of controversies surrounding Samtskhe-Javakheti Territory for 15 years of independent development of the Georgian state. During this period the regional media have repeatedly paid attention to the situation in the region: contrary to all the official statements made by Tbilisi the situation in the region remains constantly tense.[...]“Integration, not assimilation” initiative group by claiming to grant autonomy to Armenian-populated districts put forward an idea of establishing a new member of the Georgian federation.
“There will be only three autonomies in Georgia – Abkhazia, Adzharia and Tskhinvali,” Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli declared unambiguously six days after the claim was declared at the Conference “Javakh status in Georgia’s state system” that took place in Akhalkalaki on September 23-24.
However, the reality is that residents of Samtskhe-Javakheti Territory have continued to claim for autonomy. It is impossible to connive at the fact, neither it is appropriate to explain the existing tensions with only poor social and economical conditions. Exactly by the same way the situation in Nagorno Karabakh got out of hand.
Positions of Javakh Armenians could be denounced in some points, but to do this a serious dialogue between Georgia and Armenia is needed. There is no such dialogue now. Top officials of both countries prefer not to touch the painful issues and tend to treat frequent appeals of Armenians organizations to grant autonomy to Javakh as an initiative of “hotheads” who do not reflect the public opinion.[...].
[...]
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Regnum News Agency
Recent developments in Akhalkalaki, a town in Georgia mostly populated by Armenians, are just a single unit in the chain of controversies surrounding Samtskhe-Javakheti Territory for 15 years of independent development of the Georgian state. During this period the regional media have repeatedly paid attention to the situation in the region: contrary to all the official statements made by Tbilisi the situation in the region remains constantly tense.[...]“Integration, not assimilation” initiative group by claiming to grant autonomy to Armenian-populated districts put forward an idea of establishing a new member of the Georgian federation.
“There will be only three autonomies in Georgia – Abkhazia, Adzharia and Tskhinvali,” Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli declared unambiguously six days after the claim was declared at the Conference “Javakh status in Georgia’s state system” that took place in Akhalkalaki on September 23-24.
However, the reality is that residents of Samtskhe-Javakheti Territory have continued to claim for autonomy. It is impossible to connive at the fact, neither it is appropriate to explain the existing tensions with only poor social and economical conditions. Exactly by the same way the situation in Nagorno Karabakh got out of hand.
Positions of Javakh Armenians could be denounced in some points, but to do this a serious dialogue between Georgia and Armenia is needed. There is no such dialogue now. Top officials of both countries prefer not to touch the painful issues and tend to treat frequent appeals of Armenians organizations to grant autonomy to Javakh as an initiative of “hotheads” who do not reflect the public opinion.[...].
[...]
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 8:10 AM
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