December 19, 2001 - 22:31 AMT
IN GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT HEAD'S WORDS, TURK-MESKHETIANS WILL NOT MIGRATE TO JAVAKHK
Armenia is worried about the possible migration of Turk-Meskhetians to Samtskhe-Javakhetia, too, as Armenians have lived in that district for a long time. Deputy Guram Sharadze stated this in his speech at the session of the country Parliament. As reported by "Mediamax" agency, Sharadze suggests recall Georgian representative in the European Parliament Lana Gogoberidze, who while being leader of PACE Georgian delegation in 1998 signed a document undertaking the obligation about the terms of returning Turk-Meskhetians to Georgia, not having coordinated this question with the country Parliament. According to the commitments made by Georgia a stepwise process of populating Samtskhe-Javakhetia with Turk-Meskhetians deported in 1944 to Middle Asia and Kazakhstan will already start in three years. Commenting Guram Sharadze's appearance, Speaker of the Parliament Nino Burjanadze stated Georgia did not have capabilities for organizing mass immigration of Turk-Meskhetians. Besides, in her words, the transmigration may bring to ethnic clashes. Burjanadze stated the official Tbilisi would not agree to immigration of the Turks even if the Council of Europe threatens depriving Georgia of membership in the organization. "The country interests are the most important thing to us," - the Parliament head stressed.