TWO VERY DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SAME COIN -

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TBILISI 000770

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID SCUL KIRF AM GG
SUBJECT: TWO VERY DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SAME COIN -
ARMENIANS IN GEORGIA AND ARMENIA

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: Ethnic Armenian Georgians living in
Samtskhe-Javakheti (S-J) generally want their province to
remain as part of Georgia, albeit with tacit recognition by
Tbilisi of Armenian as a regional language. For Ethnic
Armenian Georgians (or Javakhsi),the grass is indeed not
greener on the Armenian side. Javakhsi see fewer
opportunities for themselves in Armenia, because of graft and
a poor economy. Due to S-J's proximity to Armenia and the
similarity of its rural conditions, Armenians see ethnic
Armenian Georgians less as a Diaspora abroad and more as an
ill-treated minority population in Georgia. Conversely,
ethnic Armenian Georgians say they are treated as the "poor
country cousins" of Armenians, and even though they share a
language and culture, Armenia does not grant them any special
favors. While the region is always a potential source of
discord, a recent visit revealed that economic progress,
although slow in coming, has begun to arrive. While Russian
and/or foreign Armenian-nationalist elements could easily
dredge up discontent in the region, for the moment calm
remains, with a cautious interest in the outcome of
opposition protests in Tbilisi. Millennium Challenge Georgia
road projects will continue to improve the access of Georgian
Armenians to markets throughout Georgia and in Turkey. End
Summary.


2. (C) On a March 25-27 trip to Samtskhe-Javakheti (S-J),
Tbilisi DCM and Poloffs from Yerevan and Tbilisi met with the
regional governor, local government officials and NGOs.
Embassies Tbilisi and Yerevan worked together on this joint
visit to S-J, in part due to increased attention in Armenia
press, both in the country and among the international
Armenian Diaspora which highlights the so-called "plight" of
ethnic Armenian Georgians in S-J. The impressions gathered
by the joint visit suggest these claims are significantly
exaggerated, but merit monitoring.

SJ -- You are Always on My Mind


3. (C) Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, many ethnic
Armenian Georgians have routinely left S-J for work in Russia
and send remittances to their families; as a result, many
carry both Russian and Georgian passports, and now, a growing
number now also have Armenian passports. There are
conflicting statistics on the number of ethnic Armenian
Georgians living in S-J. According to Armenian Relief
Services, an Armenian Diaspora organization informally but
closely tied to the Armenian-nationalist Dashnaksutyun
organization, the S-J population ranges from 140,000 to
220,000. Georgian 2002 census figures estimates fewer than
140,000. The actual figures may be less, as unknown numbers
work abroad and have not returned, or do so only
sporadically. Ethnic Armenian Georgians reside mainly in the
towns of Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Tsalka and Ninotsminda.

If I Could Dream (It would be in Armenian)


4. (C) According to interlocutors in Yerevan and S-J
residents themselves, the most pressing issue is S-J locals'
inability to integrate fully into Georgia due to poor
Georgian language skills. S-J native and Armenian MP Mayk
Sanosian in Yerevan blames this inequity on poor educational
facilities in S-J. He claims that Armenian Georgians are
treated like "second-class citizens and are disadvantaged."
The Georgian Ministry of Education over the last two years
has begun to translate all Georgian textbooks into minority
languages (Russian, Armenian, and Azeri). Results of the
Qlanguages (Russian, Armenian, and Azeri). Results of the
efforts are mixed. Representatives from the NGO Center for
Citizen Development in Akhalkalaki (S-J) told Poloffs that
the GOG textbooks were poorly translated and are filled with
typos and grammatical mistakes. On March 25,
Samtskhe-Javakheti Governor Lasha Chkadua said he is working
with the Minister of Education and Tbilisi State University
in Akhaltsikhe to increase outreach to the ethnic Armenian
Georgian population, including opening a new faculty
targeting this population. The GOAM Diaspora Ministry
proposed to build and fund a joint Armenian-Georgian Common
University in Akhalkalaki, but Yerevan officials say the GoG
appears not to be interested and discussions have stalled.


5. (C) An additional challenge with recognizing Armenian as
the local language: not all S-J residents read and speak
Armenian with proficiency. In fact, some in local leadership
roles have attended Russian language schools and prefer to
speak Russian. Nairi Iritisan, Akhalkalaki's local
government representative (Gamgebeli),an ethnic Armenian, is
an example of this phenomena. He admitted sheepishly that
his Armenian is not very good and prefers to conduct meetings
in Russian. He lamented the poor quality of Georgian

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teachers sent to teach in the region, noting that ironically,
these teachers often leave speaking better Armenian, while
the locals still do not master Georgian. This example may
point to an underlying issue: the lack of desire to learn
Georgian, based partly on a lack of information about what
Georgian language skills might mean to individuals who take
the time and effort to learn the language. Several contacts
mentioned the successful work of the Zurab Zhvania
Institute's work with training young people in Georgian
language, but noted that few of these individuals were able
to find jobs after completing their work at the Institute.

Kissin' Cousins, Well, Maybe Not


6. (C) The consensus among Akhalkalaki NGOs was that Georgia
should recognize Armenian as a regional language. This rings
loudest from NGOs that push a pro-Armenian agenda, notably
Javakh Intelligentsia and I-Info, associated with the VIRK
and Dashnak political parties respectively. The Javakh
Intelligentsia chairman's office is co-located with the VIRK
political party in Akhalkalaki. During a March 26 meeting,
the Chairman, David Rastakian harangued the group on the
plight of the region for 50 minutes, suggesting repeatedly
that the solution was for the GoG to recognize Armenian as
the regional language. Atak Gabrelian, head of the I-Info
NGO, echoed the same opinion -- in Armenian. When asked
whether it was more important for Tbilisi to recognize
Armenian as a regional language or to ensure that ethnic
Armenian Georgians are aware of their rights, Gabrelian
answered without hesitation "recognition of the Armenian
language's status." According to Kostya Vartanian, the
manager of the regional Armenian language television station
Parvana, the insistence on Armenian language does not
indicate that Javakhsi yearn to be part of Armenia: "Georgian
Armenians want jobs and their language, but do not want to
leave."
It's a Long, Lonely Highway


7. (C) Armenian MP and Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnak) S-J Bureau Chief Bagrat Sargsian (resident in
Yerevan) pointed out that the health care conditions in S-J
are of significant concern to ethnic Armenian Georgians. He
told Poloff the story of pregnant ethnic Armenian Georgians
who prefer to travel long distances on nearly non-existent
roads to cross the border into Armenia to give birth at the
Catholic-built Ghakasian hospital (20 KM into Armenia) than
give birth in Georgian hospitals. On March 26, Poloffs asked
Akhalkalaki Gamgebeli Iritsian about the quality of local
Georgian hospitals. His quick retort was to ask, "And do you
think the medical care in Armenian villages is any better?"
Irtisian said the fact of the matter is that ethnic Armenian
Georgians may travel to Ghakasian hospital because it is
closer than Tbilisi and many have relatives in Yerevan with
whom they may stay if the period of care is prolonged. He
underlined that the Armenians do not curry any favors for
their S-J brethren. Ethnic Armenian Georgians are charged
the "foreigner rates" for care, and S-J students studying in
Yerevan are charged the doble rate.

Money, Honey


8. (C) Many residents in S-J receive remittances from
abroad, but the amounts received are usually just enough to
make ends meet. Many living in Akhalkalaki worked previously
at the now-closed Russian military base, and its closure has
made finding work difficult. Arnold Stepanian of Public
Movement Multinational Georgia, told Poloff that the closure
of the base significantly lessened Russian agitation in the
Qof the base significantly lessened Russian agitation in the
region. In his opinion, the closure underscored how vital
Georgian language is to their integration. Stepanian went on
to say their are fewer radical groups now in S-J, or as in
the case of VIRK, certainly less influential. Vartanian said
about the base closure, "Russia does what it can to bring
turmoil here. Since they left, we see this now, and realize
not everything they said was true." Vartanian told Poloff
that an S-J native and Armenian MP had opened a sewing
factory in Ninotsminda, employing 200 people. Poloffs were
puzzled why more locals did not mention this, since
unemployment is such a chronic problem. The reason became
evident later when a member of the NGO Center for Citizen
Development told Poloff that many locals were unhappy because
the factory only seems to employ members of the MP's family
and inner circle. There were also rumors some factory
workers had not been paid for more than six months.


9. (C) In previous visits, Poloff had heard complaints
about the lack of jobs for local residents associated with
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) road projects.
Iritsian said that the local residents understand now that
their expectations of getting work with MCC were inflated.

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DCM reiterated that the MCC contract does not specify that
road construction companies carrying out MCC projects are
required to hire local residents; however, MCC has encouraged
contractors to do if possible. Iritisian said he understood,
but had been told that the companies will seek to hire
seventy per cent of their work force from the local
population for the next round of construction.

Treat Me Nice


10. (C) Yerevan MP Tachat Vardapetian told poloffs recently
that ethnic Armenian Georgians are increasingly concerned
about growing Georgian insensitivity toward Armenian culture.
Chief amongst these complaints has been allegations that
Georgian Orthodox church representatives have commandeered
several Armenian churches. These seizures, Vardapetian said,
had greatly contributed to increased tensions and
frustrations in the region, which he said, if continued,
could eventually lead to violent conflict. On March 26,
Father Babgen Salbian, pastor at the Armenian Apostolic
Church in Akhalkalaki mentioned two disputed churches, Surp
Neshan (St Mark's) in Akhaltsikhe and Kumurdo in Akhalkalaki,
lamenting their disrepair and the enmity over the resolution
of their ownership. "We are Christians," he said, "Why do we
have fight like this and behave so poorly to one another?


11. (C) Salbian told Emboffs that he had experienced
Georgian bureaucratic indifference several years ago, trying
to get assistance from Armenians in the U.S. to the region.
First, donated clothing and other items were detained at Poti
port since the materials were not consigned to any particular
charitable organization. Once the paperwork was completed,
the GoG demanded several thousand dollars to release the
shipment. There was a months-long delay, and when the
assistance finally arrived, the shipping containers were
pillaged and empty. DCM offered Salbian U.S. Embassy
assistance should future shipments arrive and he need help.
To demonstrate the Armenian Apostolic Church's (AAC) goodwill
towards the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC),Salbian said that
the AAC collected toys for children and donated some of these
toys to GOC to distribute further to Georgian children. He
said ruefully that it would be nice if the GOG congratulated
AAC on church holidays in the way that it does for the
Georgian Orthodox Church. (Comment: President Saakashvili
extends official greetings to the Patriarch on GOC religious
holidays. Saakashvili had his second Presidential naugural
at the David the Builder Church in Kutaisi. End Comment.)


12. (C) Embassy Yerevan reports that Armenian MPs believe
the GoG deliberately keeps the region impoverished. However,
statistical and anecdotal evidence does not support this
allegation. A review of the Georgian budget that compares
funding for each municipality in S-J indicates no bias in
budget allocations. A U.S. Resident Budget Adviser who works
in the Ministry of Finance pointed out that two of the
cities, Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe, seem to have received
allocations higher than other comparable cities. Iritisian
noted many improvements in the region, pointing them out
during an informal walk on March 26. He said that in 2008
the local budget received approximately 1 million GEL in
foreign assistance, and in 2009 he predicted it would be 9
million GEL. He highlighted the long-awaited arrival of
natural gas to the region. Lack of heat in winter has been a
chronic problem, but now bright yellow gas lines could be
Qchronic problem, but now bright yellow gas lines could be
seen which run above ground in the city. Iritisian said more
than 150 homes have already been hooked up to the gas system.


13. (C) S-J residents now have access to Georgian news,
internet, and help in accessing Georgian government
structures to resolve social issues. In this perennially
cold and isolated region, news had previously been limited to
broadcasts from Russia and Armenia. The GoG has recently
begun to fund the regional television station Parvana in
Ninotsminda to translate the nightly Georgian news into
Russian for local consumption. During a visit to his studio,
the stations' director Vartanian said that he will also do
local programming to be distributed throughout Georgia via
affiliates. Vartanian now works on the internet in his
office, thanks to a Kazakhstani provider operating in the
region. To help locals plug into Georgian government
structures, foreign donors have funded an Ombudsman
representative to work in Akhalkalaki. The newly appointed
representative, Seda Melkumenian, is a staunch defender of
human rights, and realizes the importance of the region's
integration. She stresses that students need to see their
future in Georgia and the role Georgian language plays in
this.

Suspicious Minds


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14. (C) Vardapetian and Sanosian, both resident in Yerevan,
said there are suspicions, which have intensified since
August 2008, that ethnic Armenian Georgians collaborated or
at least sympathized with Russia's decision to undertake
military action against Georgia in August 2008. Both claimed
that the way GoG governs S-J via the Ministry of Internal
Affairs does not engender good relations between ethnic
Armenian Georgians and Tbilisi. Ethnic Armenian Georgians in
S-J have Russian passports in order to work in Russia.
Vardapetian said, "They want to be loyal Georgian citizens,
but (because of their Russian passports) their government
often treats them as potential revolutionaries." According
to Embassy Yerevan interlocutors, Georgian suspicions soared
in January when two Georgian Armenians were charged with
sedition and spying. Armenians with whom Yerevan Poloff
spoke are adamant that these charges are false. "They are
looking to make Armenians a scapegoat for what happened in
August." Sanosian contends that ethnic Armenian Georgians
want nothing more than to be integrated into the fabric of
Georgian society.


15. (C) On March 25, Gia Andguladze, from the NGO Meskhi
Democrats in Akhaltsikhe, said that the proceedings were
still on-going in the above case and preferred not to comment
-- a reticence unusual among NGOs. Arnold Stepanian told
Emboff that Meskhi Democrats have strong links to Georgian
Minister of Internal Affairs, Vano Merabishvili. Stepanian
said that Merabishvili, who is from Akhaltsikhe, worked
previously for the same NGO and still uses these links to
monitor and influence S-J activity. According to Stepanian,
the NGO reins in radical elements, redirecting them into
President Saakashvili's United National Movement's (UNM)
fold. Iritisian, former VIRK activist and UNM convert, now
Akhalkalaki Gamgebeli, is an excellent example of this
transformation.


16. (C) Other NGOs said nothing or were more muted about
the espionage case, including Javakh Intelligentsia and
I-Info. In a meeting on March 26, Ombudsman's representative
Melkumenian commented about the case, "When you are an NGO
you should know where your funding is coming from." Poloff
asked about the on-going case of Vahagn Chakhalian, an ethnic
Armenian from Akhalkalaki. Official Georgian reports
attribute Chakhalian's arrest to stockpiling weapons and
forceful entry into a municipal building, with intent to
overthrow the local government. Stepanian opined that the
GoG charges were inaccurate, but said that Chakhalian was
"not clean either." Stepanian attributed Chakhalian's arrest
to running afoul of a powerful Armenian oligarch in Moscow,
with ties to the Akhalkalaki police chief. Melkumenian said
that Chakhalian was arrested for forcing his way into the
government building after the last local elections and
vociferously denouncing the results as false. Melkumenian
said that Chakhalian has a strong following, and elements of
the Javakh Union are observing the on-going court case
closely. She had just returned from observing the trial in
Akhaltsikhe, but was tight-lipped on further details.

Comment:


17. (C) Conversations with Armenian MPs in Yerevan and
civic leaders in Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe and Ninotsminda
underscore their similarities, but also highlight the stark
contrast; while all are ethnic Armenians, they do not speak
with one voice. Ethnic Armenian Georgians who reside in
Tbilisi and Akhaltsikhe tend to speak Georgian quite well --
QTbilisi and Akhaltsikhe tend to speak Georgian quite well --
they must for practical reasons. For those further out in
Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda, where the majority of the
populations is ethnically Armenian, they see less of a need
to learn Georgian. It is clear that ethnic Armenian
Georgians want to integrate, but are insistent that it be on
their own terms. As Metropolitan Nicolas Pachuashvili,
Archbishop of Akhalkalaki told Emboff, "They must have a
reason to want to learn Georgian." As the region enjoys the
benefits of USG assistance in the coming years, particularly
through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the area should
open to greater social integration and greater opportunities
for economic development. These opportunities should provide
fertile ground for the advancement of the Georgian language
throughout this Armenian-speaking population.


18. (U) US Embassy Yerevan reviewed and provided comments
for this cable. Embassy Yerevan provided all Yerevan-sourced
information.
TEFFT