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Reconciliation March In Tbilisi

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  • Reconciliation March In Tbilisi

    RECONCILIATION MARCH IN TBILISI

    Azg
    4 March 05

    A procession aimed at removing discords aroused in connection with
    Armenian Surb Astvatsatsin church in Norashen was held in Tbilisi
    yesterday.

    Mari Mikoyan, head of Nor Serund NGO in Tbilisi, told daily Azg in a
    telephoned interview that the NGO she spearheads and the National
    Union of Georgia's Youth Organizations organized a reconciliation
    march to help Armenian and Georgian churches overcome problems they
    face.

    Few dozens of Armenians and Georgians started the march from St Zion
    Georgian church, halted at Norashen Armenian church and then moved to
    Surb Gevorg church where they were welcomed by the head of Georgia's
    Armenian diocese, bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian and father Abgar.

    "The slogan we, the Armenian and Georgian young people, have chosen is
    this: â=80=98 We live in Georgia and have no discords'", Mari Mikoyan
    said addingthat both churches blessed the procession participants.

    "We want to prove that Armenians and Georgians have no
    disagreements. This action was meant to explain that the issue around
    Norashen should be solvedby the two churches and we, the NGOs, are
    only mediators and are wishing to see a peaceful settlement", Mikoyan
    said.

    The church of Norashen first appeared in the limelight in 1989 when
    Georgia's chauvinistic leader, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and Ilya II
    Catholicos set a goal to take hold of the church together with other
    Armenian, Russian and Greek churches. The church served as a library
    during the soviet rule. The books were taken out in 1995 and Georgian
    priest, Tariel, started "repair" and "georgization" of the church. The
    Armenians of Georgia and the late head ofthe Armenian diocese, Gevorg
    Seraydarian, expressed their resentment to ex-president Eduard
    Shevardnadze, Tbilisi mayor Niko Kelishvili and Georgian Catholicos
    Ilya II.

    The official Yerevan also intervened. Armenian embassy to Georgia sent
    a note to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The ruckus over Norashen
    church stopped for over 10 years as a result of various negotiations.

    By Tatoul Hakobian
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