GEORGIAN PRESIDENT WARNS OF SEPARATISM THREAT IN ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGION
Rustavi-2 TV, Georgia
April 18 2013
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has called for vigilance
against what he sees as a Russian-backed separatist movement in the
mainly ethnic Armenian-populated Javakheti region.
Calls for greater autonomy for the region – and for declaring Armenian
an official regional language – have grown louder since Saakashvili’s
party was defeated in the 1 October parliamentary election and the
government of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili came to power.
In remarks in the Javakheti town of Akhalkalaki broadcast by Rustavi-2
TV on 18 April, the president said:
“All this talk that started recently about us ratifying some new
documents that will artificially isolate Javakheti from Georgia, all
of this mindless talk-[changes tack] I support opening up relations
with Russia and having trade and cultural relations, of course, but
playing around with sovereignty issues – the main fundaments of
Georgian independence – with Russia, this ambiguity with Europe, all
of this will create unimaginable problems for us in the future if we
do not stop it in time.
“I say this as a very well informed person because I truly put my
whole soul and heart into developing this region and integrating this
region into Georgia. This is one of the least told stories of
Georgia’s history in the last decade, that of what happened here and
how we did this quietly without any advertising or so-called PR. And
now all of this could fall apart very loudly if Georgia does not
retain its sovereignty and keep moving towards Europe, and if Georgia
takes the path of indignity and lowliness.
“So, during this trip I have once again become convinced that the
prospects are very great, that these people [Javakheti Armenians] are
truly our people and we must help these people in every way, but let
us not allow others to fiddle around here. Because there still is
potential for this [separatism]. As long as I have any power as
president it will not happen, but we all must stop these tendencies
together because Javakheti is among the places where Georgia’s fate is
being decided.”
[Translated from Georgian]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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