HAVING FORCED ARMENIANS FROM JAVAKHK, GEORGIA WILL LOSE THIS REGION
ArmInfo
2009-06-22 08:07:00
Interviewed by David Stepanyan
Interview of Head of ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary faction Vahan
Hovhannisyan with ArmInfo news agency
Mr.Hovhannisyan, how would you comment on the opus of Azerbaijani
propaganda as an interview expressing Vice Speaker of Georgian
Parliament Paata Davitaya’s discontent with the situation in Javakhk?
To start with, I do not quite understand Mr.Davitaya’s discontent. He
is displeased with the fact that Javakhk residents express their
concern about their own situation to the Armenian president. Moreover,
Davitaya considers this inadmissible as there is no institute of dual
citizenship in Georgia.
But the institute of dual citizenship has nothing to do with it
because otherwise one will suppose that Georgian authorities constantly
directing similar complaints to various instances of European Union and
the USA are citizens of not only Georgia, but also European Union. In
this context, it is quite clear why Javakhk residents are concerned
about the processes developing in Georgia.
What about the so-called "hand of Yerevan" in the processes developing
in Javakhk?
Yerevan or any other capital city of the world has nothing in common
with it. People are simply concerned about the fact that regularly
changing leading regimes of Georgia did not try to come cl oser to
resolving of vital problems of Javakhk. At the same time, to connect
these problems only with the economical difficulties is incorrect as
they mean the fact that till today Georgia has not fulfilled decisions
of the Council of Europe about the regional languages practically
banning the use of the Armenian language as an official language at
schools and other educational establishments of Javakhk. Georgia has
not yet signed the Convention ‘On national minorities’. Naturally,
this also causes anxiety of the Armenian population of Javakhk. The
plans of Georgia about population of Turk-Meskhets at the territories
historically populated by Armenians cannot but cause anxiety
either. Certainly, all this anxiety stands out against the background
of the terrible economic and social situation in this region.
After all, being a victim of the August war, Georgia managed to receive
4 bln USD to restore its economy and social infrastructure. Naturally,
Javakhk residents fairly think that certain part of these funds
should be directed to their region. Certainly, all these complaints
were first of all directed to the authorities of Georgia many times:
to the local and regional authorities, to the parliament, government
and finally to the Georgian president. And when after dozens of such
applications there was no reply, naturally, Armenians of Javakhk are
trying to be understood by their compatriots in Armenia. They apply
to President of Armenia20Serzh Sargsyan not for mediation. On the
contrary, the only thing they ask about is to raise these problems
against Mikheil Saakashvili who is going to visit Yerevan. This is
legal and normal, and Davitaya’s opposition colleagues many times
directed similar complaints to European and American officials before
their visit to Georgia. They also asked to put this or that question
against the president of Georgia. Armenian population of Javakhk is
doing the same at present, and they have a right to do that. This does
not at all require introduction of the dual citizenship in Georgia. I
thought the vice speaker of Georgian parliament would understand this.
What role does the Russian factor play in Javakhk?
Practically no role as the Armenian population of Javakhk, being
the overwhelming majority there, voted for Saakashvili during the
presidential election in Georgia. Those in Georgia are mistaken if
think that the Armenians of Javakhk were unaware of the anti-Russian
mood of Saakashvili.
They were perfectly aware of that, nevertheless, they voted. So no
secret service capable to change the public opinion of the Javakhk
Armenians actually exists like no separatist movements do. As a counter
to this, there is normal legal movement in Javakhk for the civil rights
of the national minority, although it is somewhat unlawful to call
the Armenians of Javakhk the minority. So, in this case, I will use
just the internationally recognized term. As regards the comparison
of Javakhk and Nagorno-Karabakh, which is not quite correct, let Mr.
Davitaya know that the people’s liberation movement in Nagorno-Karabakh
started after Azerbaijani riot squad tried to exterminate the Armenian
population of Nagorno-Karabakh by means of USSR armed forces and
Azeri gangs, and Karabakh people defended themselves. We are sure
that nothing of the kind may happen in Georgia.
Actually, all this fuss about Javakhk, in which the vice speaker of
Georgian parliament has already been involved, is nothing but another
result of Azerbaijani agitation trying to connect Javakhk and Karabakh,
is it?
Certainly, it is. Unfortunately, the Georgian elite has no
understanding of the fact that today Javakhk is the only territory
where Georgians and Armenians are historical neighbours over
millenniums until they live side by side. A Turkic component is wedged
in the rest length of Armenian-Georgian border. Unfortunately, the
Georgian elite doesn’t realize that if vacuum is formed somewhere in
the Caucasus, it is immediately filled by not Georgians and Armenians,
but Turks. And if some Georgian political forces or circles are trying
to force Armenians from Javakhk, they should know that having forced
Armenians, they will lose Javakhk. Therefore, the Javakhk Armenians
should be made faithful citizens of Georgia observing their national
and civil rights, and there is just no other way.
With in the frames of the territorial integrity of Georgia…
There are currently no political forces in Armenia which make the
territorial demands to Georgia.
Thanks.