Yerevan's silence to blame for 'georgification' of Armenian cultural heritage

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian historian Samvel Karapetyan doesn't accuse assimilated Armenians in Georgia.



"It's the Armenian statehood which is responsible for the compatriots living in neighboring countries," he told a news conference yesterday.



Commenting on the history of assimilated Armenians, Karapetyan said, "Georgian kings transported them from the Yerevan khanate to Georgia to guard borders with south Caucasian tribes in the 18th century. By the beginning of the 20th century, most of them had forgotten the Armenian language but still struggled for maintenance of their national identity. However, attempts stopped under the Stalin rule."



"Georgia is not to blame. The Georgian leadership cares about its people and bears no responsibility for the Armenian people. They will never stop appropriating Armenian cultural monuments," he said.



"The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs should take action to stop the acts of vandalism," Karapetyan concluded.