CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 40

MANE BABAJANYAN
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars) railway in October 2017, the Turkish- Azerbaijani
presence started to grow significantly in Akhalkalaki due to a terminal
which serves as a “hub in the region” in terms of the movement of goods
and passengers. It is also important to emphasize that the Akhalkalaki
terminal is only 30-kilometers away from the Armenian border 85 , which
can be regarded as a potential threat to the security of the RA. In 2017,
the Armenian PM at the time, Karen Karapetyan, visited Tbilisi where he
discussed the problems of Javakhk Armenians along with other questions
concerning bilateral relations. According to Karapetyan, they mainly
addressed the educational problems of Javakhk Armenians. 86 In an
interview with the newspaper “Past,” Shirak Torosyan notes that despite
the importance of educational issues in Javakhk, it was more urgent to
place the issue of the Turkish- Azerbaijani presence that threatens
Javakhk Armenians in the agenda. 87
Regarding recent developments in the sphere of education in
Javakhk, Salome Zurabishvili’s April 2019 visit to Javakhk dedicated to
the “day of the mother language,” where she encouraged Armenians to
start learning Georgian to become full-fledged citizens, should be noted. 88
Eduard Ayvazyan, director of the Samtskhe-Javakhk Media Analytical
Center, explains that several years ago, many people in Javakhk were
granted Armenian citizenship and lost their Georgian one. Granting them
Georgian citizenship was one of the pre-electoral pledges of Zurabishvili,
which is possible only by taking an exam on the Georgian language.
However, the level of knowledge of Georgian is quite low among
Javakhk Armenians. Although there is a tendency among the youth to
continue education in Tbilisi, it does not guarantee future employment as
ethnic Armenians are discriminated from getting both state and non-state
jobs in Georgia. Ayvazyan also highlights some existing problems in

85
VahramTer-Matevosyan, “Opening of the Akhalkalak-Kars Railway: What to do
Now?” EVN Report, November 5, 2017, https://www.evnreport.com/politics/opening-of-
the-akhalkalak-kars-railway-what-to-do-now.
86 “Karen Karapetyany Vrastanum Abkhazakan Yerkatgtsi Aylyntranqayin Tarberak E
Qnnarkel [“Karen Karapetyan Discussed a Variant of an Alternative Road to the Abkhaz
Railway]”, Aravot.am, March 1, 2017, https://www.aravot.am/2017/03/01/860844/.
87 “Javakhahayutyan Khndirnery Hayastani ev Vrastani Varchapeteri Qnnarkumneri
Orakargum [The Problems of Javakhk Armenians in the Discussion Agendas of Armenian
and
Georgian
Prime
Ministers]”,
Slaq.am,
March
4,
2017,
http://www.slaq.am/arm/news/1161914/.
88 Gevorg Stamboltsyan, “Vrastani Nakhagahy Javakhahayerin Koch e Arel Vratseren
Sovorel [“Georgia’s President Calls for Javakhk Armenians to Learn Georgian]”,
Azatutyun Radiokayan, April 15, 2019, https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29881386.html.
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