Vazgen Mirzakhanyan: Armenians are treated better than Azeris in Georgia
The Armenian community of Tbilisi backed incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili. Majority in Javakhk voted the same way, Primate of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.
"We endeavor to get on with the authorities and this policy produces effect. Saakashvili, at least, tries to be as good as his word. I am confident that Georgia is really concerned over the problem of Javakhk and other regions. Some measures have been already taken. For example, the Akhaltsikhe-Batumi highway has been completely repaired. Funds have been allocated for repair of Armenian schools. An Armenian-Georgian University is likely to open in Akhalkalaki. Of course, it's not enough but we hope for a better attitude towards the Armenian community," he said.
"Georgian popular attitude toward Armenians has changed. The number of anti-Armenian publications has considerably decreased. Moreover, Armenians and treated better than Azeris. Georgian Azeris are constantly complaining of Baku authorities, which do not attend to their problems properly. The Armenian government behaves quite the other way. We receive textbooks and literature. The AAC Georgian Diocese keeps in touch with the Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi. We established a Center of Armenian Culture. As to the opinion that the Armenian community of Istanbul lives a better life, maybe their financial state is better but we are politically free," he said.
Full text of the interview
"We endeavor to get on with the authorities and this policy produces effect. Saakashvili, at least, tries to be as good as his word. I am confident that Georgia is really concerned over the problem of Javakhk and other regions. Some measures have been already taken. For example, the Akhaltsikhe-Batumi highway has been completely repaired. Funds have been allocated for repair of Armenian schools. An Armenian-Georgian University is likely to open in Akhalkalaki. Of course, it's not enough but we hope for a better attitude towards the Armenian community," he said.
"Georgian popular attitude toward Armenians has changed. The number of anti-Armenian publications has considerably decreased. Moreover, Armenians and treated better than Azeris. Georgian Azeris are constantly complaining of Baku authorities, which do not attend to their problems properly. The Armenian government behaves quite the other way. We receive textbooks and literature. The AAC Georgian Diocese keeps in touch with the Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi. We established a Center of Armenian Culture. As to the opinion that the Armenian community of Istanbul lives a better life, maybe their financial state is better but we are politically free," he said.
