Russia’s Javakhk Diaspora urges Georgian authorities to declare Samtskhe-Javakheti national-cultural autonomy

September 30, 2010 - 17:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Javakheti Diaspora of Russia disseminated a statement with respect to the upcoming visit of Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze to Armenia. It says that the Georgian authorities transfer their country into a mono-ethnic state, while nationalism and discrimination continue growing in the country. President Mikheil Saakashvili aspires towards construction of a national state. And it is well-known that there are two ways for it – assimilation and emigration. Currently, Tbilisi is trying to assimilate the national minorities residing in Georgia.

The statement notes that Armenians of Samtskhe-Javakheti are deprived of the opportunity to create in Armenian language, though they make a majority in the aforementioned region.

“Nevertheless, as per European conventions on national minorities rights protection, which are signed, but not ratified by Georgia, a national minority making 20% of population has the right to use its native language as a language of court proceeding and education. It is evident that the Georgian authorities violate the existing international standards in this matter,” reads the statement.

Authors of the statement believe that false rumors intentionally disseminated by some Georgian media about Javakhk are vain and there are not any separatist moods in the region. The problem of a cultural autonomy exists there in part. “It is ridiculous not to have a cultural autonomy in the region, where even Georgians speak Armenian better than their native language – Georgian. Taking this into consideration, we, the Javakheti Diaspora of Russia, urge the Georgian authorities to declare the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti a national-cultural autonomy,” reads the statement.