ICG Warns on Opportunity of Conflict between Armenians and Azeris in Georgia
The Georgian government must take significant steps to avoid conflict in the country's ethnic Armenian and Azeri areas. Georgia's Armenian and Azeri Minorities, the latest report from the International Crisis Group (ICG), examines the grievances of these two communities. Georgia has made little progress towards integrating these minorities, who constitute over 12 per cent of the population.
Armenians and Azeris are underrepresented in all spheres of public life, especially government, and a lack of dialogue between them and Tbilisi adds to perceptions of discrimination and alienation. This is aggravated by economic problems, including high unemployment and decaying infrastructure. While there is no risk of the situation becoming Ossetian- or Abkhaz-like threats to Georgia's territorial integrity, tensions are evident in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo-Kartli, where the two predominantly live.
According to the ICG data, there have been demonstrations, alleged police brutality and killings during the past two years. "While the government denies there is any inequality, many minorities claim they are treated as second-class citizens. Feeling betrayed by the Abkhaz and Ossetians, who declared independent states on Georgian territory, Tbilisi has a deeply rooted, if unfounded, fear that others may do the same. More sensitive and effective minority policies would dampen such demands and might even help build trust with the Abkhaz and Ossetians," says Sabine Freizer, Crisis Group's Caucasus Project Director.
"Tbilisi needs to do much more to build confidence and to encourage minorities to address their problems through state structures rather than in the street", says Sabine Freizer. Some steps need to be taken to improve the lives of minorities, experts of the ICG say. The state should also implement its international commitments, particularly allowing use of minority languages for state affairs in municipalities with large numbers of minority citizens, as is standard throughout Europe, the report authors believe. "Only by acting on both tracks will Georgia succeed in reducing tensions and increasing minority integration", says Nicholas Whyte, Crisis Group's Europe Program Director.
Armenians and Azeris are underrepresented in all spheres of public life, especially government, and a lack of dialogue between them and Tbilisi adds to perceptions of discrimination and alienation. This is aggravated by economic problems, including high unemployment and decaying infrastructure. While there is no risk of the situation becoming Ossetian- or Abkhaz-like threats to Georgia's territorial integrity, tensions are evident in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo-Kartli, where the two predominantly live.
According to the ICG data, there have been demonstrations, alleged police brutality and killings during the past two years. "While the government denies there is any inequality, many minorities claim they are treated as second-class citizens. Feeling betrayed by the Abkhaz and Ossetians, who declared independent states on Georgian territory, Tbilisi has a deeply rooted, if unfounded, fear that others may do the same. More sensitive and effective minority policies would dampen such demands and might even help build trust with the Abkhaz and Ossetians," says Sabine Freizer, Crisis Group's Caucasus Project Director.
"Tbilisi needs to do much more to build confidence and to encourage minorities to address their problems through state structures rather than in the street", says Sabine Freizer. Some steps need to be taken to improve the lives of minorities, experts of the ICG say. The state should also implement its international commitments, particularly allowing use of minority languages for state affairs in municipalities with large numbers of minority citizens, as is standard throughout Europe, the report authors believe. "Only by acting on both tracks will Georgia succeed in reducing tensions and increasing minority integration", says Nicholas Whyte, Crisis Group's Europe Program Director.
