Georgian parliament calls back Turks Meskhetians but not to JavakhetiJune 23, 2007 - 15:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - With 134 votes 'for' and 14 'against' the Georgian parliament passed June 22 the bill "On repatriation of persons expelled from Georgia by soviet authorities in 1940-ies". The legislation provides for return of Turks Meskhetians to Georgia.Democratic Front faction member Ivlian Khaindrava said it was high time to pass the bill. "Each state should have a law on repatriation. However there should be a law regulating the process of stepwise return of Meskh Muslims, their adaptation in the Georgian society and settlement sites. The most important point here is that the issue of citizenship of the repatriates should be decided by the Georgian parliament but not the government," he said. For her part, Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze underscored that the government will not create special conditions for the repatriates. "Georgia is not so rich. However we will do our best to ensure normal life for the repatriates. Turks Meskhetians will settle in different regions of Georgia but not in Samtskhe Javakheti, from where were deported," she said, Georgian media reports. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |