The WikiLeaks has published information concerning the situation of Armenian people in Georgia. Samtskhe-Javakheti population demand its "legal rights" to be respected. The report that WikiLeaks posted describes a meeting between the Bishop of the Armenian Church in Georgia, Vazgen Mirzakhanian and former USA Ambassador John Tefft in Georgia on the 16th of July of 2009.
After this meeting Tafft wrote the following to the USA State Department: "The Bishop stressed a question which is of special importanceto Armenians living in Georgai. The usage of the Armenian language should be recognised as an official language at a local level. The ethnic Armenians should get their educaiton in Armenian language and dispute about Church property rights should be resolved."
After this USA Ambassador wrote that the Armenian Bishop demanded to establish the joint Georgian-Armenian University in Akhalkalaki. This is to increace the competitiveness of ethnic Armenians. They should get high quality education and suffucuent knowledge of the Georgian language to fin the employment in the Georgian economy.
USA Ambasador promised that he will review this question with Temur Iakobashvili, (back than the Georgian Minister of reintegration, currently ambassador in USA).
The diplomatic document which dated back to September 29 of 2008 indicates that themajority of Armenians living in Georgia are located in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region and Akhaltsikhe Akhalkalaki. They are very concerned about their cultural heritage and language. The language problems remain the most serious obstacle for the integration among the Armenian-speaking population in these regions.
The Armenian Diaspora continues to demand the Armenian language to be recognised as an official language for the region and the regulation of the Church property questions for establishing the autonomy.
The revealed classified materials shows one notion under the heading "how can the government to strengthen its trust among their people" Our partners indicated three problems. To solve the problem we hope that the government will take measures. The first and most important question: Introducing the Armenian language as a regional language. Alongside the Georgian language Armenian should be an official language but in actual usage for schools and local bodies Armenian and Russian will be used. On September 3 of (2009) Armenian President Sej Sagsian said that Georgia should recognize the Armenian language as an official regional language based on the principle "integration without assimilation".
The second question is a property question. This conserns the Churches which are a disputable between Georgians and Armenians. One of the experts which was questioned by the USA embassy said that the question looks like a volcano "one never knows when it will erupt."
The third question is about an increase of the local self governance. People were complaining that they have to wait for the public officials from Tbilisi, or they have to go to Tbilisi, this cause for high expenses, for decision for simple administrative questions, suhc as the getting a passport or registration of property.
The Armenian media underlined following questions published by WikiLeaks:
1. Armenians living in Javakheti region and its social and political representatives are demanding the following from the Georgian government:
a) Cease of the political persecution against Javakheti Armenians and increase of the local self governance.
b) Giving Armenian the status of official regional language.
c) Registration of the Armenian Church and return of the churches, religious constructions which were seized during the Soviet period.
d) Establishing of joint Georgian Armenian University in Javakheti
2. The above mentioned questions are under the international human rights obligations of Georgia concerning national minorities. A range of international organizations such as the UN, CoE and others are calling to fulfill those obligations.
3. USA supports the fair demands of the ethnic Armenians in Georgia.