Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHK APPEAL TO DIASPORA TO LAUNCH ACTIVITIES IN DEFENSE OF RIGHTS OF VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN AND ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHK
Story from Lragir.am News:
Published: 17:32:22 - 23/09/2011
A petition in defense of the rights of Vahagn Chakhalyan and Armenian
of Javakhk, signatures attached, directed to the participants of the
Forum of Diaspora organizations held in Yerevan on September 19-21
has been worked out in Javakhk and signed by more than 1400 people
from Akhalkalak, Ninotsminda, Aspinzai, Borjom and Tsalka.
The petition and the signatures will soon be sent to the Ministry of
Diaspora of Armenia.
The authors urge to stop violence and provocations against Vahagn
Chakhalyan in jail, to stop pressure on his family and friends, to
justify and immediately set him free, to ensure a state status to
the Armenian language in the region and remove the ban on entry in
Georgia of Armenian and Diaspora figures.
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
Will Armenian-Georgian relations collapse?
BY TIMES.AM AT 24 SEPTEMBER, 2011, 11:35 AM
Armenian newspaper “Haykakan Zhamanak” (“Armenian time”) writes about difficulties in Armenian-Georgian relations. According to the newspaper scandal may take plac eon this ground.
“Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili did not congratulate Serzh Sargsyan on the occasion of Armenian Independence. Note, even Turkish President Abdullah Gul sent congratulation. And after it Georgia suspended its gas supply to Armenia and the explanation about technical problem is not noticed”, the newspaper concluded.
/Times.am/
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Georgian ambassador summoned to Armenian Foreign Ministry
September 24, 2011 - 11:04 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Georgia’s ambassador to Armenia Tengiz Sharmanashvili was summoned to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the recent statement by the Georgian MFA regarding the municipal elections in Nagorno Karabakh.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia officially confirms support of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in its internationally recognized borders and sovereignty and does not recognize the illegal elections to local self-government in Nagorno Karabakh,” the Georgian Ministry said in a statement.
Elections to the local self-government were held in 209 constituencies of Artsakh on September 18. 54 658 voters participated.Leave a comment:
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
Earlier this year my wife was on business in Georgia. Part of the itinerary was a tour, as usual.Originally posted by ninetoyadome View Post
She was with about 5 Georgians and 3 Abkhaz so there were nice dynamics in the group. They went into an ancient church and my wife read some of the inscriptions and translated them into Russian for the others. The Georgians were shocked that she could read "Ancient Georgian" script. She looked at the Abkhaz and told them that it was Armenian, to have told the Georgians would have been a waste of breath.Leave a comment:
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
Ex-Ambassador of Georgia: we don't want Armenian churches
September 5, 2011 - 18:39 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - WikiLeaks whistle blowing website released February 26, 2010 cables on a meeting with a former Ambassador of Georgia to Armenia Georgy Tabatadze addressed by ex-Ambassador of U.S. to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch to U.S. Department of State.
Yovanovitch cites Tabatadze’s statement referring to a conflict between the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox Churches over Armenian churches located in Georgia.
“We don't want the churches. Everyone knows they are Armenian churches.” Tabatadze said. “Yet it would only be fair to the Georgians to receive other churches in return. He specifically pointed out non-operating “Georgian” churches in northern Armenia currently on the state registry with the Government of Armenia. Tabatadze noted that while there are no ethnic Georgians in that area who would use the churches, it is the principle of reciprocity that matters. “In future, Georgian Orthodox church could establish monasteries there,” Tabatadze said, according to the cables.
Earlier, however, Georgian historians refused to recognize the presence of Armenian churches on the territory of Georgia.Leave a comment:
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
Georgian businessmen (hotel and restaurant owners along the Black sea coast) depend a lot on visitors from Armenia to keep their businesses going.
Saakashvili cannot upset armenians too much..Leave a comment:
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
interesting article...
Սաակաշվիլին վրեժ է լուծում հայերից հոր պատճառով. Georgia Times
21:40 • 30.08.11
Երևում է՝ Միխեիլ Սաակաշվիլիի ռեժիմը որոշել է վերջնականապես փչացնել հարաբերությունները հայերի հետ։ Այս մասին գրում է Georgia Times կայքը՝ մեկնաբանելով վերջին շրջանում Վրաստանի իշխանությունների կողմից իրականացվող հակահայ քաղաքականությունը։
«Նախ Վրաստանի սփյուռքի հարցերով պետնախարար Միրզա Դավիտայան հայտարարեց, թե Վրաստանն աջակցում է Ադրբեջանի տարածքային ամբողջականությանը և կողմ է «օկուպացված տարածքների ազատագրմանը»։ Որոշ ժամանակ անց ԶԼՄ–ներում հայտնվեց տեղեկություն Թբիլիսիի դպրոցներից մեկի տնօրինության կողմից հայկական հատվածի դեմ իրականացվող խտրականության մասին»,– գրում է Georgia Times–ը, որը թեմայի առնչությամբ զրուցել է Ռուսաստանում ջավախահայության սփյուռքի առաջնորդ Աղասի Արաբյանի հետ։
«Իրենց դիվանագիտական կուլտուրայի պատճառով հայաստանյան իշխանությունները չեն արձագանքում այդ ամենին և հարևանի հետ հարաբերությունները չփչացնելու համար համբերում են։ Սաակաշվիլին մեկ անգամ չէ, որ խոսել է Ադրբեջանի հետ ընդհանուր թշնամիների մասին։ Մենք՝ որպես հասարակական կազմակերպություն, կարծում ենք, որ նման հայտարարությունն արվել է սադրանքի նպատակով ստեղծված իրավիճակը սրելու համար։ Այլ կերպ դա հնարավոր չէ մեկնաբանել։ Սակայն, միևնույն ժամանակ, պետք չէ մոռանալ, որ Վրաստանն ու Հայաստանը հարևաններ են։ Այդ պատճառով Վրաստանի իշխանությունները, ընդհակառակը, պետք է այնպես անեն, որ հայերը չլքեն իրենց տարածքները։ Երևում է՝ պարոն Ստուրուան ճիշտ էր. Սաակաշվիլիի հայրը հայ է եղել և լքել է իր ընտանիքը, և հենց այստեղից էլ Վրաստանի նախագահը քեն է պահել իր մեջ, ինչն էլ իր հերթին անդրադառնում է հայերի հետ հարաբերությունների վրա»,– ասել է Արաբյանը։Leave a comment:
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
TBILISI. - Another Armenian church was vandalized in Georgia. This time it was Church of Surb Etchmiadzin located in the capital, Tbilisi, which was consecrated by Armenian Catholicos Karekin II two months ago.
On August 19 evening two young people, supposedly drunk, entered the Armenian church. Two sellers of candles and cleanup woman labeled their behavior as arrogant and disrespectful, Armenia-based Yerkir Media television reported.
One of them started to turn over the pages of the Holy Book placed on the sanctuary tearing off one of the pages. He also sat down on the chair of bishop. Women tried to call young people to order and finally ousted them from the church. Young people tore off the announcements installed on the doors and burnt them down.
Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan said they had appealed to police. Diocese of the Armenian church intends to appeal to Georgia’s Internal Ministry and other structures and file a note of protest to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Mirzakhanyan said young people’s behavior is a result of the recent amendments made to the legislation providing for legal status to the religious minorities of Georgia. The legislation sparked anti-Armenian sentiments.
The Armenian diocese of Georgia plans to issue a statement on the incident. Earlier Georgia’s ombudsman was informed. A month ago unknown left inscriptions insulting Armenians on the walls of a hotel located near the Surb Etchmiadzin church.
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
do not talk with georgians! they are xxxxing rats,fake!all the life they were copying our land and history! do not forget you xxxxx who made iberia to georgia,The brother of our king Bagratouni! go xxxx with USA!Leave a comment:
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Re: Armenian Georgian Relations
Armenia: Property Disputes Fueling Church Tension between Yerevan and Tbilisi
August 10, 2011 - 2:21pm, by Gayane Abrahamyan
The Georgian Orthodox Church’s claim to several monasteries in neighboring Armenia is stoking religious tension between the two South Caucasus neighbors.
The fact that Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion (in 301 AD) is a source of national pride in Yerevan, and government officials accordingly tend to be quick to defend the prerogatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Authorities in Georgia, the third country to make Christianity its state religion (in 326 AD, after Ethiopia), feel similarly strongly about the rights of the Georgian Orthodox Church. These deeply held opinions ensure that cross-border property claims are a delicate topic.
Neither church today enjoys the status as a state religion, although both represent the faith of a large majority of Armenians and Georgians respectively.
In the post-Soviet era, church relations have travelled on a bumpy path. A brief thaw set in after Georgian authorities in July approved regulatory changes that would allow the Armenian Apostolic Church to gain official status in Georgia. The Georgian Orthodox Church opposed the revisions, but Armenian Apostolic Church representatives told RFE/RL that it believed the objections did not have sectarian roots.
These days, property disputes are the primary source of tension. In Armenia, the Georgian Orthodox Church desires official status and ownership of five monasteries in areas near the Armenian-Georgian border that it claims were founded as Georgian churches. Four of the disputed properties are in the Lori region -- the monasteries of Akhtala, Kobair, Hnevanq, and Khuchap. The fifth, the Kirants monastery, is in the Tavush region.
The Armenian Apostolic Church supports its Georgian counterpart’s request for official status, but Armenian church leaders object to handing over the monasteries.
“It [the Georgian Church] demands churches whose ownership is still disputed,” claimed Armenian Apostolic Church spokesperson Father Vahram Melikian.
The Armenian Apostolic Church contends that though these monasteries may have functioned as Georgian believers during the 11th and 12th centuries, they were built as Armenian Apostolic churches and should remain so.
Practical considerations also should be taken into account, added Father Vahram. The low number of ethnic Georgians living in Armenia –only about 600, according to government data – does not justify the transfer of five monasteries, Vahram contended.
During a June visit to Tbilisi, Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II gave a more open-ended answer to Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Ilia II on the matter. “You put your arguments down, we’ll look at them. What prevents us from resolving these questions?” Karekin II said in an unofficial videotaped chat posted on YouTube.
Ethnic Georgians in Armenia approach the church-property issue gingerly. Local Georgian Orthodox believers do not yet have official registration, a status that would grant them the ability to build churches. The law is applicable to all religious communities with at least 200 members. “It is unclear why they have not registered,” Father Vahram commented.
At Yerevan’s St. George church, which serves a tiny Georgian Orthodox community, the priest, Father Alexander, said that he petitioned Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Ilia II in 2006 to be recognized as a Georgian Orthodox church, “but didn’t get any answer.”
Religious rights watchdogs in the past have reported that some Christian denominations skirt registration requirements since they see it as an avenue for government interference.
Members of Armenia’s ethnic Georgian community tend to look to Patriarch Ilia II and Catholicos Karekin II to take the lead on tackling the question of ownership of the Lori and Tavush monasteries.
The property disputes go both ways. The Armenian Apostolic Church lays claim to five churches in Tbilisi and one in the southern Georgian town of Akhaltsikhe, which has a large ethnic Armenian population. Father Vahram said the property claims were motivated by an Armenian church desire to defend the religious rights of ethnic Armenians living in Georgia. Such explanations, however, leave many in Tbilisi feeling suspicious.
Editor's note: Gayane Abrahamyan is a reporter for ArmeniaNow.com in Yerevan.
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