What do Armenians of Javakheti want from Georgian leadership?

Sahil Information and Research Center is vigorously observing the situation in Javakheti (Georgian name of region.) Javakheti is situated in Samtskhe-Javakheti region of southern Georgia, near the borderline with Armenia. Latest developments in that Georgian region reveal new threat tendencies in inner political panorama. As we have reported earlier that Vice-chairman of International Relations Parliamentarian Committee Mr. Rustamian has cleared stated that Javakheti (Armenians call it Javakh) should be granted a status of autonomy. Georgian politician of Armenian origin tried to explain that there is nothing to be scared of. According to him, Georgian Constitution tells that Georgia is a Federation. Let’s have a look to the Constitution of Georgia:

"CHAPTER ONE"

General Provisions

Article 1

Georgia is an independent, unified and indivisible law-based state, ratified by the referendum carried out on March 31, 1991 throughout the territory of the country, including the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia and the former autonomous district of South Ossetia and further adduced by the act of April 9th, 1991 restoring the independence of the Georgian state.”

As we see that the word “Federation” is not used in Article 1. Georgia is an independent and unified State. It is called Republic of Georgia.

First well-planned stage is over. It means to explain to Georgian public that the idea of grating a status of autonomy to Javakheti is not bad, legal and compatible to the “Federation of Georgia”.

Let’s go further. We see now a political party emerging on March in Javakheti. Nobody knows that party called Virk. Virk? Who stands behind that political party? Armenians? Somebody else?

Sahil IRC  has received a new strange information. The co-chairmen of Virk Party (composed of Armenians living in Javakheti) Mr. Mels Torosyan and David Rstakyan have launched a campaign for grating a status of autonomy. They say that Virk Party is concerned with political idea of Georgian politicians saying about link between Pankisi gorge and Javakheti. A few days ago, Georgian parliamentary commission for security problems has begun to investigate the situation in Pankisi and Javakheti. The same goes to Georgian Security Council. Those “politicians” even say that issue on the status of an administrative and territorial unit for Javakheti within Georgia is put on agenda since 1997. 1997?

Now we report you on what has been recently said by co-chairman of Virk Party Rstkyan:

"We do not hide our interest in the Russian bases where our people work. It is not only a social issue. The main thing is the physical security of our population, guaranteed mainly by the presence of the Russian military. We are not against cooperation with Turkey if it is not directed against us".*

Minsk Group co-chairs offer to involve Garabagh communities

/* Baku, March 9, AssA-Irada */

Azeri President Aliyev and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Rudolf Perina of the US, Philippe Surmaen from France, Nikolay Gribkov of Russia and Russian deputy foreign minister, member of the delegation Vyacheslav Trubnikov, focused on expanding the format of the negotiations in their Friday meeting in Baku.

"Occasional meetings of the Azerbaijan and Armenian Presidents handicap the talks and the solution to the conflict", Russian negotiator N. Gribkov said. He championed deepening the negotiations by involving the Azeri and Armenian communities of Upper Garabagh. The Russian diplomat thanked the Azeri President for his contributions to Russia's anti-terrorist campaign.

President Aliyev hoped that the co-chairs had come with new ideas of resolution of the conflict.

In response, the US co-chair R. Perina said they would discuss important issues and this would be continuation of the New York talks. Mr. Perina went on to say that "it is high time the Garabagh dispute was resolved".

The co-chairs said they had had nothing to revolutionize the course of the negotiations, but they were aspirant to achieve a breakthrough in the process. According to Mr. Trubnikov, the negotiators may have different visions of the solution and Azerbaijan shouldn't assess it as pressure.

"We want to help resolve the row, but understand that the Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian are largely responsible to their nations, which are sick and tired of waiting", Trubnikov said. "The negotiators are not a travel agency. We are sent here and we don't want to come back with no fruits. We will discuss a new form of resolution", he said.

On his part, President Aliyev commended the intensification of the Minsk Group activities. "The Official Baku believed in the soonest resolution of the conflict when the Minsk Group was being set up 10 years ago. But, there hasn't been any progress so far", he underscored.

Commenting on the proposed new format for the negotiations, the Azeri President said that "the OSCE Minsk Group and the co-chairs in the present format are the most sophisticated authority".

In a conference on the outcomes of the Baku talks, Russian diplomat V. Trubnikov explained the need for an expanded format of the talks with the fact that the Azeri and Armenian Presidents meet very seldom, while the negotiators don't have enough materials to work. According to him, the Presidents should appoint their proxies to speed up the negotiations.

The co-chairs said they hadn't made any proposals conflicting with the national interests of the two nations, saying that only the two Presidents could make any border changes. The negotiators said they recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

Asked if the co-chairs are pressed to expedite the solution by the upcoming presidential elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan, V. Trubnikov said that "both incumbent and future Presidents should know that great responsibility lies on them. So, the co-chairs don't have to hurry"

R. Perina said they had proposed reasonable compromises to the Presidents.*

Armenian atomic station menace cautioned

/* Baku, March 09, Assa-Irada */

The Armenian Atomic Power Station, which was built in the Soviet era and refurbished in the mid-1990s with Russia's assistance, is potentially threatening the whole region, director of the Scientific research Institute of Energy and Energy Projects Karim Ramazanov told AssA-Irada Saturday.

Moreover, the International Agency for Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy (IAPUAE) is airing concerns with the atomic plant, saying the problem is of global nature for the Caucasus, as well as Turkey and Iran.

Recalling the tragic consequences of the nuclear holocaust at the Chernobyl Atomic Power Station, K. Ramazanov says the South Caucasus countries, Turkey and Iran should realize the menace of the plant. The situation is even worse for Azerbaijan, whose occupied lands may turn into a burial ground for nuclear wastes.

The Armenian nuclear station should be stopped and dismantled, the scholar suggests, while radioactive wastes and parts of the atomic station should be buried with direct supervision of the IAPUAE. He thinks it reasonable for IAPUAE specialists to hold monitoring in the Armenia-occupied lands of Azerbaijan in a move to trace burial places of radioactive elements.*

Pressure over Bush is increasing "to recognize so-called Armenian genocide"

/* Ankara, March 09, TDN */

Deniz Arslan reported on Friday from Washigton that pressure over Bush is increasing for the recognition of so-called armenian genocide. On April 24th, a letter for recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide was signed by 36 United States House of Representatives. Now the number of supporter of this increased to 60 representative. The aim of this letter is to for a pressure over George Bush in order to accept the so-called Armenian genocide.

Most of the representatives who calls Bush to recognize so-called Armenian genocide are also the members of the "Armenian friendship group" in the Congress.

The letter which dated March 5, 2002 wanted USA President Bush to make an explanation on April 24, which is said to be the so-called anniversary of Armenian Genocide. They wanted Bush to use the word "Genocide" in his speech. However last year's speech which was done by Bush on the April 24, despite of the pressure from the Armenian lobby Bush did not use the word "genocide".*