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Published by The JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
JAVAKHETI REGION COMPLICATES GEORGIAN RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
By Zaal Anjaparidze
In April Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Armenian counterpart
Robert Kocharian held talks in Tbilisi following unrest in Georgia's
predominately Armenian-populated southern region, Samtskhe-Javakheti. The
disturbances, which calmed down soon, coincided with a parliamentary
resolution about the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia,
including one installation in Akhalkalaki, Javakheti. Residents of Javakheti
argue that closing the Russian military base would leave about 10,000 locals
without any means of subsistence.
Javakheti also dominated talks between Armenian Parliamentary Chair Artur
Bagdasarian and his Georgian counterpart, Nino Burjanadze, during
Bagdasarian's visit to Tbilisi on April 29-30. Burjanadze tried to assure
her Armenian visitor that Georgia is doing its utmost to improve the
socio-economic conditions of the region and to improve Armenian
participation in Georgia's civic life (Civil Georgia, aravot.am, Aprili 30).
On May 2, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili declared that the
Georgian government would not allow separatism in Samtskhe-Javakheti and
would neutralize the political groups that have been promoting anti-Georgian
policies and agitating the locals by organizing protest rallies against the
closure of the Russian base. Okruashvili -- and later Saakashvili -- vowed
that the government would ensure jobs for the local Armenians after the base
closes, but apparently few Javakheti Armenians trust these statements
(Caucasus Press, May 2).
As the situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti continues to simmer, the local
Armenian community is increasingly turning towards neighboring Armenia.
Javakheti has strong ties to Armenia. More than 100,000 Javakheti natives
live in Armenia. Some Armenian political parties, notably Dashnaktsutiun,
make the occasional radical statement about the rights of Armenians in
Javakheti in order to appeal to these voters. The party sharply reacted to
what it called "anti-Armenian statements" made by Professor Giorgi
Gachechiladze, a member of Saakashvili's advisory board, in the Georgian
tabloid Rao-Rao on March 14. Dashnaktsutiun issued a press release on March
18, warning that any Georgian policies that discriminate against the
Javakheti Armenians would be fraught with negative consequences for Tbilisi.
Saakashvili's offices responded by downplaying Gachechiladze's comments and
underlining the importance of friendly relations with Armenia.
Javakheti natives now living in Armenia have established a political party,
"Zor Airenik" (Mighty Homeland). On March 16, together with the Armenian
Democratic-Liberal Union and the Ramkavar Azatakan Party, members called on
the Georgian and Armenian governments to take urgent measures to solve the
problems of the Armenian community in Javakheti. They argued that
Javakheti's Armenian community is justified in its appeal for security
guarantees, including autonomy and self-governance (Info.ru, March 24; Prima
News, April 24).
The Georgian-Armenian union "Nor Serund" (New Generation) also called on the
Saakashvili regime to pay more attention to Javakheti, and it slammed the
Georgian media for distorting information about the region. This March an
estimated 6,000 Armenians rallied in Akhalkalaki demanding the Georgian
government to stop plans to close the Russian base, acknowledge the Armenian
genocide of 1915, remove a ban on teaching Armenian history in the
Armenian-language schools, adopt a law on protecting minority rights, and
develop self-governance and regional infrastructure (see EDM, March 23). The
protestors blamed Georgian authorities for deliberately stalling the
economic development of Javakheti in order to compel Armenians to leave the
region. The anticipated repatriation of Meskhetian Turks to Javakheti by
2012, one of Georgia obligations before the Council of Europe, is another
cause for concern within the Armenian community.
The Armenian press has criticized the recently publicized Georgian national
security concept, which states that "pragmatic cooperation" should determine
Georgian-Armenian relations. The fact that the concept did not name Armenia
among the list of Georgia's "strategic partners," as were Azerbaijan,
Ukraine, Turkey, and the United States, irritated some Armenian analysts.
Van Baiburt, an ethnic Armenian member of the Georgian parliament, said the
reaction of the Armenian press perhaps did not reflect the position of
official Yerevan and would not poison Georgian-Armenian relations
(Resonance, May 21).
According to some analysts, there is a growing desire among Javakheti's
Armenian community for unification with neighboring Armenia. This
possibility is one of Tbilisi's highest -- if unspoken -- concerns.
Two factors complicate a solution for Javakheti: the increasing dominance of
an ethnic-oriented mentality over civic awareness in the Georgian political
establishment and the fear of possible Russian support for separatism in
Javakheti. Some local Armenian opinion leaders argue that a separation of
powers between the "center" and "region" might provide a solution. Javakheti
Armenians were highly dissatisfied with the Georgian authorities' decision
to prohibit the registration of the local political movement "Virk," which
advocates political autonomy for Javakheti.
The socially vulnerable Georgian minority in Javakheti, meanwhile, is
seeking government support for increasing their standing in the region.
The Georgian government and international donors in Georgia hope that
ongoing reforms, combined with socio-economic and humanitarian programs,
will help turn the Javakheti Armenians back to the Georgian state. Whether
these measures will be effective remains to be seen.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
JAVAKHETI REGION COMPLICATES GEORGIAN RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
By Zaal Anjaparidze
In April Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Armenian counterpart
Robert Kocharian held talks in Tbilisi following unrest in Georgia's
predominately Armenian-populated southern region, Samtskhe-Javakheti. The
disturbances, which calmed down soon, coincided with a parliamentary
resolution about the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia,
including one installation in Akhalkalaki, Javakheti. Residents of Javakheti
argue that closing the Russian military base would leave about 10,000 locals
without any means of subsistence.
Javakheti also dominated talks between Armenian Parliamentary Chair Artur
Bagdasarian and his Georgian counterpart, Nino Burjanadze, during
Bagdasarian's visit to Tbilisi on April 29-30. Burjanadze tried to assure
her Armenian visitor that Georgia is doing its utmost to improve the
socio-economic conditions of the region and to improve Armenian
participation in Georgia's civic life (Civil Georgia, aravot.am, Aprili 30).
On May 2, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili declared that the
Georgian government would not allow separatism in Samtskhe-Javakheti and
would neutralize the political groups that have been promoting anti-Georgian
policies and agitating the locals by organizing protest rallies against the
closure of the Russian base. Okruashvili -- and later Saakashvili -- vowed
that the government would ensure jobs for the local Armenians after the base
closes, but apparently few Javakheti Armenians trust these statements
(Caucasus Press, May 2).
As the situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti continues to simmer, the local
Armenian community is increasingly turning towards neighboring Armenia.
Javakheti has strong ties to Armenia. More than 100,000 Javakheti natives
live in Armenia. Some Armenian political parties, notably Dashnaktsutiun,
make the occasional radical statement about the rights of Armenians in
Javakheti in order to appeal to these voters. The party sharply reacted to
what it called "anti-Armenian statements" made by Professor Giorgi
Gachechiladze, a member of Saakashvili's advisory board, in the Georgian
tabloid Rao-Rao on March 14. Dashnaktsutiun issued a press release on March
18, warning that any Georgian policies that discriminate against the
Javakheti Armenians would be fraught with negative consequences for Tbilisi.
Saakashvili's offices responded by downplaying Gachechiladze's comments and
underlining the importance of friendly relations with Armenia.
Javakheti natives now living in Armenia have established a political party,
"Zor Airenik" (Mighty Homeland). On March 16, together with the Armenian
Democratic-Liberal Union and the Ramkavar Azatakan Party, members called on
the Georgian and Armenian governments to take urgent measures to solve the
problems of the Armenian community in Javakheti. They argued that
Javakheti's Armenian community is justified in its appeal for security
guarantees, including autonomy and self-governance (Info.ru, March 24; Prima
News, April 24).
The Georgian-Armenian union "Nor Serund" (New Generation) also called on the
Saakashvili regime to pay more attention to Javakheti, and it slammed the
Georgian media for distorting information about the region. This March an
estimated 6,000 Armenians rallied in Akhalkalaki demanding the Georgian
government to stop plans to close the Russian base, acknowledge the Armenian
genocide of 1915, remove a ban on teaching Armenian history in the
Armenian-language schools, adopt a law on protecting minority rights, and
develop self-governance and regional infrastructure (see EDM, March 23). The
protestors blamed Georgian authorities for deliberately stalling the
economic development of Javakheti in order to compel Armenians to leave the
region. The anticipated repatriation of Meskhetian Turks to Javakheti by
2012, one of Georgia obligations before the Council of Europe, is another
cause for concern within the Armenian community.
The Armenian press has criticized the recently publicized Georgian national
security concept, which states that "pragmatic cooperation" should determine
Georgian-Armenian relations. The fact that the concept did not name Armenia
among the list of Georgia's "strategic partners," as were Azerbaijan,
Ukraine, Turkey, and the United States, irritated some Armenian analysts.
Van Baiburt, an ethnic Armenian member of the Georgian parliament, said the
reaction of the Armenian press perhaps did not reflect the position of
official Yerevan and would not poison Georgian-Armenian relations
(Resonance, May 21).
According to some analysts, there is a growing desire among Javakheti's
Armenian community for unification with neighboring Armenia. This
possibility is one of Tbilisi's highest -- if unspoken -- concerns.
Two factors complicate a solution for Javakheti: the increasing dominance of
an ethnic-oriented mentality over civic awareness in the Georgian political
establishment and the fear of possible Russian support for separatism in
Javakheti. Some local Armenian opinion leaders argue that a separation of
powers between the "center" and "region" might provide a solution. Javakheti
Armenians were highly dissatisfied with the Georgian authorities' decision
to prohibit the registration of the local political movement "Virk," which
advocates political autonomy for Javakheti.
The socially vulnerable Georgian minority in Javakheti, meanwhile, is
seeking government support for increasing their standing in the region.
The Georgian government and international donors in Georgia hope that
ongoing reforms, combined with socio-economic and humanitarian programs,
will help turn the Javakheti Armenians back to the Georgian state. Whether
these measures will be effective remains to be seen.