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The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 10 2006
United Javakh leader warns of protests if Kars-Akhalkalaki railway
goes ahead
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Tiko Giorgadze)
The United Javakh NGO is against the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway project, a segment of railroad that will
extend from Turkey into Georgia via the Armenian populated Javakheti
region.
United Javakh, which calls for greater autonomy for Javakheti, is
often characterised as a radical organisation, and sometimes held to
have links to Russia, one of the organisations leaders has warned of
large scale protests if construction goes ahead.
A railway already exists linking Turkey to Azerbaijan via Armenia;
however this route is unusable due to the Turkish government's
closure of its border with Armenia in response to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia is against the construction of the
new railway, saying it further isolates the country and further
reduces the chances of settling its problems with Turkey.
At the meeting of foreign ministers at the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) summit last week, Armenian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Vardan Oskanian, stated that the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway should not go ahead, and called on the
Georgian government to not participate in the project.
On a recent visit to Moscow, Oskanian said that new transport routes
were being constructed without the participation of several BSEC
member countries, and already existing routes were being completely
ignored.
United Javakh leader, Vagan Chakhalian, has expressed concern that
violent protest might erupt in the area. Last month Armenian police
detained Chakhalian for illegally crossing the Armenian border. He
was released only after several political organizations held protests
in Yerevan demanding his release. Chakhalian has been making more and
more radical statements since his release.
Kote Gabashvili, chair of the parliamentary Foreign Relations
Committee, says there will not be any confrontations or conflict
between the people of two friendly nations, but at the same time he
adds that provocative statements and actions of this kind should be
prevented in the provinces. It is worth stressing that the
construction of the railway will bring much needed jobs to the area,
which is one of the poorest in Georgia.
Political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze says that the issue of Javakheti
is often raised when Georgian-Russian relations becomes tense. He is
concerned that Russia will encourage the Armenian side to create
problems in Georgia.
According to Sakvarelidze some steps should be taken to ease tensions
locally, but the Georgian government should also pay attention to its
relationship with the president of Armenia, because the population of
Javakheti always listens to Yerevan's opinion.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Nov 10 2006
United Javakh leader warns of protests if Kars-Akhalkalaki railway
goes ahead
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Tiko Giorgadze)
The United Javakh NGO is against the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway project, a segment of railroad that will
extend from Turkey into Georgia via the Armenian populated Javakheti
region.
United Javakh, which calls for greater autonomy for Javakheti, is
often characterised as a radical organisation, and sometimes held to
have links to Russia, one of the organisations leaders has warned of
large scale protests if construction goes ahead.
A railway already exists linking Turkey to Azerbaijan via Armenia;
however this route is unusable due to the Turkish government's
closure of its border with Armenia in response to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia is against the construction of the
new railway, saying it further isolates the country and further
reduces the chances of settling its problems with Turkey.
At the meeting of foreign ministers at the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) summit last week, Armenian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Vardan Oskanian, stated that the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway should not go ahead, and called on the
Georgian government to not participate in the project.
On a recent visit to Moscow, Oskanian said that new transport routes
were being constructed without the participation of several BSEC
member countries, and already existing routes were being completely
ignored.
United Javakh leader, Vagan Chakhalian, has expressed concern that
violent protest might erupt in the area. Last month Armenian police
detained Chakhalian for illegally crossing the Armenian border. He
was released only after several political organizations held protests
in Yerevan demanding his release. Chakhalian has been making more and
more radical statements since his release.
Kote Gabashvili, chair of the parliamentary Foreign Relations
Committee, says there will not be any confrontations or conflict
between the people of two friendly nations, but at the same time he
adds that provocative statements and actions of this kind should be
prevented in the provinces. It is worth stressing that the
construction of the railway will bring much needed jobs to the area,
which is one of the poorest in Georgia.
Political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze says that the issue of Javakheti
is often raised when Georgian-Russian relations becomes tense. He is
concerned that Russia will encourage the Armenian side to create
problems in Georgia.
According to Sakvarelidze some steps should be taken to ease tensions
locally, but the Georgian government should also pay attention to its
relationship with the president of Armenia, because the population of
Javakheti always listens to Yerevan's opinion.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress