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GEORGIA'S NEW GOVERNMENT IS MORE OPEN WITH ARMENIA, SAYS ACTIVIST
14:23 * 24.10.14
In an interview with Tert.am, Javakhk-based Armenian activist Vahagn
Chakhalyan said that Georgia's current government is more sincere in
its relations with Armenia.
"The tension that was under Mikheil Saakashvili has been defused,
and the situation is getting better," he said.
Mr Chakhalyan, what changes have taken place? Have the Georgian
authorities kept their promises?
It is too early to speak of promises as kept. The tension that was
under Mikheil Saakashvili has been defused, and the situation is
getting better. In any case, Georgia's incumbent authorities are more
sincere in their relations with Armenia. Georgia has always stated its
wish to have friendly relations with Armenia. However, words and deeds
are different things. Saakashvili would make declarative statements.
Georgia's incumbent authorities are trying to establish closer
cooperation with Armenia and consider Armenia's interests in the
region.
With respect to the Armenian community's problems, what changes have
taken place?
The Armenian community has seen changes. The Saakashvili regime turned
Javakhk into a zone. The situation is not such now, but the military is
still playing its role. That is, control is too strict. The Saakashvili
regime presented the Javakhk Armenian population as seeking to destroy
Georgia's statehood and integrity. And it is impossible to ruin this
image in a day. Georgia's new authorities are very cautious. They do
not believe in the existence of this "monster."
I think they are in search for a new governance model, and we should
help them find it.
Are national or socio-economic problems a bigger concern for the
Armenians of Javakhk?
We have always said that political problems are of more concern. It
is not the socio-economic problems that caused the emptying of Javakhk
from Armenians, as Saakashvili would say. What we say is that the hard
socio-economic situation itself stems from the policies conducted in
our region.
What will you say about the latest legislative reform in Georgia,
which provoked discontent among the Javakhk-Armenians?
What troubles us most about that law is that many Javakhk-Armenians,
who were not able to go to Russia over those years, have taken
Armenian passports. Later [former President Mikheil] Saakashvili
introduced a law - as a result of a struggle with [ex-PM Bidzina]
Ivanishvili - to ban Georgian passports for individuals with a dual
citizenship. As a result of that internal political struggle, many
were deprived of Georgian citizenship. Had the law [been enforced]
earlier, the Javakhk-Armenians would have thought whether or not
to take a passport. But because the law was adopted later, they
willy-nilly became faced with the fact, and about 3,000 people were
deprived of a Georgian citizenship. That kicked up a big fuss in
Javakhk, leading up to a halt in this process in the past one year
or so. And the problem stemming from the new law was that the people
who lost citizenship are granted a 180-day residence status. So they
thus introduced a visa regime.
Reports emerged about a decision to launch a military base in
Akhalkhalaki. How is that perceived by the Javakhk-Armenians?
The process began back in 2007, but we managed to stop it. They now
say it is about building an education center. So they are not going
to construct a base as such, though the past experience often showed
that they said one thing while building something and absolutely a
different thing - after finishing all that. The problem is that they
failed to not only conduct a public debate but also inform at least
the local authorities of that. Yes, they are now tasting the fruits
of their behavior of many years, their obsequiousness and attitude,
but it is very unpleasant for me to know that they did not invite the
representatives of our local government. So for the sake of empowering
Georgia, it is important to also make Javakhk-Armenians a participant
of this process.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/10/24/vahagn-chakhalian-armenia/
14:23 * 24.10.14
In an interview with Tert.am, Javakhk-based Armenian activist Vahagn
Chakhalyan said that Georgia's current government is more sincere in
its relations with Armenia.
"The tension that was under Mikheil Saakashvili has been defused,
and the situation is getting better," he said.
Mr Chakhalyan, what changes have taken place? Have the Georgian
authorities kept their promises?
It is too early to speak of promises as kept. The tension that was
under Mikheil Saakashvili has been defused, and the situation is
getting better. In any case, Georgia's incumbent authorities are more
sincere in their relations with Armenia. Georgia has always stated its
wish to have friendly relations with Armenia. However, words and deeds
are different things. Saakashvili would make declarative statements.
Georgia's incumbent authorities are trying to establish closer
cooperation with Armenia and consider Armenia's interests in the
region.
With respect to the Armenian community's problems, what changes have
taken place?
The Armenian community has seen changes. The Saakashvili regime turned
Javakhk into a zone. The situation is not such now, but the military is
still playing its role. That is, control is too strict. The Saakashvili
regime presented the Javakhk Armenian population as seeking to destroy
Georgia's statehood and integrity. And it is impossible to ruin this
image in a day. Georgia's new authorities are very cautious. They do
not believe in the existence of this "monster."
I think they are in search for a new governance model, and we should
help them find it.
Are national or socio-economic problems a bigger concern for the
Armenians of Javakhk?
We have always said that political problems are of more concern. It
is not the socio-economic problems that caused the emptying of Javakhk
from Armenians, as Saakashvili would say. What we say is that the hard
socio-economic situation itself stems from the policies conducted in
our region.
What will you say about the latest legislative reform in Georgia,
which provoked discontent among the Javakhk-Armenians?
What troubles us most about that law is that many Javakhk-Armenians,
who were not able to go to Russia over those years, have taken
Armenian passports. Later [former President Mikheil] Saakashvili
introduced a law - as a result of a struggle with [ex-PM Bidzina]
Ivanishvili - to ban Georgian passports for individuals with a dual
citizenship. As a result of that internal political struggle, many
were deprived of Georgian citizenship. Had the law [been enforced]
earlier, the Javakhk-Armenians would have thought whether or not
to take a passport. But because the law was adopted later, they
willy-nilly became faced with the fact, and about 3,000 people were
deprived of a Georgian citizenship. That kicked up a big fuss in
Javakhk, leading up to a halt in this process in the past one year
or so. And the problem stemming from the new law was that the people
who lost citizenship are granted a 180-day residence status. So they
thus introduced a visa regime.
Reports emerged about a decision to launch a military base in
Akhalkhalaki. How is that perceived by the Javakhk-Armenians?
The process began back in 2007, but we managed to stop it. They now
say it is about building an education center. So they are not going
to construct a base as such, though the past experience often showed
that they said one thing while building something and absolutely a
different thing - after finishing all that. The problem is that they
failed to not only conduct a public debate but also inform at least
the local authorities of that. Yes, they are now tasting the fruits
of their behavior of many years, their obsequiousness and attitude,
but it is very unpleasant for me to know that they did not invite the
representatives of our local government. So for the sake of empowering
Georgia, it is important to also make Javakhk-Armenians a participant
of this process.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/10/24/vahagn-chakhalian-armenia/