WIKILEAKS. ARF, THE PROTECTOR OF SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI
yerkir.am
12:23 - 06.09.2011
With the publication of all WikiLeaks cables from the US State
Department and its diplomatic missions wordwide, interesting
information has become available regarding many issues of concern to
Armenia and Armenians. One of these issues is the situation in Javakhk,
the Samtskhe-Javakheti administrative region in the south of Georgia,
bordering the Republic of Armenia.
WikiLeaks published cables with references to Javakhk, from US missions
in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Moscow, Ankara and Baku, as well as the State
Department number around one hundred.
The cables from the Ankara and Baku embassies are mainly regarding
the Kars-Akhalkalak-Baku railroad construction. There are references
to this railroad in cables from the US diplomatic missions in Yerevan
and Tbilisi.
12 February 2004 (Identifier: 04YEREVAN347)[i], about the official
openning ceremony in Yerevan of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun 29th World Congress. In the cable US
Ambassador Ordway writes: "Dashnak Party Chairman Hrand Margarayan's
February 6 comments on relations with Turkey, N-K, and Georgia's
Armenian population sparked renewed controversy among Armenia's
political elite. Margaryan declared during his address to the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF or "Dashnaksutyun") 29th
World Congress that the GOAM should not entertain closer relations
with Turkey, endorsed permanent independent status for all geographic
regions involved in the N-K conflict and called for autonomy for the
Armenian enclaves in Georgia's Javakheti region. FM Vartan Oskanian,
who himself addressed the meeting before Margaryan's speech, was
quick to distance himself and the GOAM from these statements during
press opportunities this week."
Amb. Ordway goes on: "The most unexpected part of Margaryan's. He
fell short of calling for an independent state and clarified that an
autonomous Armenian region should exist within the Georgian state.
Margaryan claimed that the Armenian Diaspora was increasingly
supportive of the ARF's approach to Javakheti." According to the
Ambassador, the "Speech creates headaches for the GOAM." Oskanian
did not criticize Margaryan's comments, but went to great lengths
to categorize them as ARF opinions that 'do not reflect Government
of Armenia policy. November 2006 (Identifier: 06YEREVAN1645)[x],
US Embassy in Yerevan CDA Godfrey reports: "Georgia's predominantly
Armenian Samstkhe-Javakheti (S-J) region periodically makes news in
Armenia, colored by the local perception here that Georgians treat
their Armenian minority shabbily. Armenian government officials
have not generally complained on this theme, but others, including
the governing-coalition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
'Dashnaktsutyun' party, bemoan what they view as Georgian neglect of
the impoverished and isolated community. Working together, Yerevan
and Tbilisi poloffs recently interviewed the ARF, an Armenian-based
Javakheti advocacy group, and local analysts to assess the issue from
a Yerevan perspective". "RUN-OF-THE-MILL POVERTY OR POLITICAL NEGLECT?
Giro Manoyan, a member of the nationalist ARF's party secretariat
(or "Buro") said that while the Armenian community's situation has
improved under President Saakashvili, conditions in S-J remain worse
than that of other poor, but ethnically Georgian, regions.
yerkir.am
12:23 - 06.09.2011
With the publication of all WikiLeaks cables from the US State
Department and its diplomatic missions wordwide, interesting
information has become available regarding many issues of concern to
Armenia and Armenians. One of these issues is the situation in Javakhk,
the Samtskhe-Javakheti administrative region in the south of Georgia,
bordering the Republic of Armenia.
WikiLeaks published cables with references to Javakhk, from US missions
in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Moscow, Ankara and Baku, as well as the State
Department number around one hundred.
The cables from the Ankara and Baku embassies are mainly regarding
the Kars-Akhalkalak-Baku railroad construction. There are references
to this railroad in cables from the US diplomatic missions in Yerevan
and Tbilisi.
12 February 2004 (Identifier: 04YEREVAN347)[i], about the official
openning ceremony in Yerevan of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun 29th World Congress. In the cable US
Ambassador Ordway writes: "Dashnak Party Chairman Hrand Margarayan's
February 6 comments on relations with Turkey, N-K, and Georgia's
Armenian population sparked renewed controversy among Armenia's
political elite. Margaryan declared during his address to the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF or "Dashnaksutyun") 29th
World Congress that the GOAM should not entertain closer relations
with Turkey, endorsed permanent independent status for all geographic
regions involved in the N-K conflict and called for autonomy for the
Armenian enclaves in Georgia's Javakheti region. FM Vartan Oskanian,
who himself addressed the meeting before Margaryan's speech, was
quick to distance himself and the GOAM from these statements during
press opportunities this week."
Amb. Ordway goes on: "The most unexpected part of Margaryan's. He
fell short of calling for an independent state and clarified that an
autonomous Armenian region should exist within the Georgian state.
Margaryan claimed that the Armenian Diaspora was increasingly
supportive of the ARF's approach to Javakheti." According to the
Ambassador, the "Speech creates headaches for the GOAM." Oskanian
did not criticize Margaryan's comments, but went to great lengths
to categorize them as ARF opinions that 'do not reflect Government
of Armenia policy. November 2006 (Identifier: 06YEREVAN1645)[x],
US Embassy in Yerevan CDA Godfrey reports: "Georgia's predominantly
Armenian Samstkhe-Javakheti (S-J) region periodically makes news in
Armenia, colored by the local perception here that Georgians treat
their Armenian minority shabbily. Armenian government officials
have not generally complained on this theme, but others, including
the governing-coalition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
'Dashnaktsutyun' party, bemoan what they view as Georgian neglect of
the impoverished and isolated community. Working together, Yerevan
and Tbilisi poloffs recently interviewed the ARF, an Armenian-based
Javakheti advocacy group, and local analysts to assess the issue from
a Yerevan perspective". "RUN-OF-THE-MILL POVERTY OR POLITICAL NEGLECT?
Giro Manoyan, a member of the nationalist ARF's party secretariat
(or "Buro") said that while the Armenian community's situation has
improved under President Saakashvili, conditions in S-J remain worse
than that of other poor, but ethnically Georgian, regions.