Transcaucasian anomaly and the Javakh issue: mini-empires in the new reality

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Recent developments in Akhalkalaki, a town in Georgia mostly populated by Armenians, are just a single unit in the chain of controversies surrounding Samtskhe-Javakheti Territory for 15 years of independent development of the Georgian state. During this period the regional media have repeatedly paid attention to the situation in the region: contrary to all the official statements made by Tbilisi the situation in the region remains constantly tense. Periods of growing tension alternate with , but on the whole Samtskhe-Javakheti is situated in a zone highly attractive for many various interests. “Integration, not assimilation” initiative group by claiming to grant autonomy to Armenian-populated districts put forward an idea of establishing a new member of the Georgian federation.

“There will be only three autonomies in Georgia – Abkhazia, Adzharia and Tskhinvali,” Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli declared unambiguously six days after the claim was declared at the Conference “Javakh status in Georgia’s state system” that took place in Akhalkalaki on September 23-24.

However, the reality is that residents of Samtskhe-Javakheti Territory has continued to claim for autonomy. It is impossible to connive at the fact, neither it is appropriate to explain the existing tensions with only poor social and economical conditions. Exactly by the same way the situation in Nagorno Karabakh got out of hand.

However, the reality is that residents of Samtskhe-Javakheti Territory has continued to claim for autonomy. It is impossible to connive at the fact, neither it is appropriate to explain the existing tensions with only poor social and economical conditions. Exactly by the same way the situation in Nagorno Karabakh got out of hand.

Positions of Javakh Armenians could be denounced in some points, but to do this a serious dialogue between Georgia and Armenia is needed. There is no such dialogue now. Top officials of both countries prefer not to touch the painful issues and tend to treat frequent appeals of Armenians organizations to grant autonomy to Javakh as an initiative of “hotheads” who do not reflect the public opinion. The danger of the situation rests upon the fact that in terms of lack of an adequate reaction to the existing tension in the region and absence of effort to transmit the tension into the way of a constructive and controllable dialogue the tension could be used by third parties, because nature adhors a vacuum, especially in politics and moreover, in a key region of South Caucasus, which is no doubt Samtskhe-Javakheti.

The full text of the story is available in the Russian version.