CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 41

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
Javakhk’s schools. First, there is a lack of books, which complicates the
process of learning Armenian. Second, there is a need for trained
teachers. Although there was a program for training Armenian teachers in
Javakhk, it has unfortunately been cancelled already. Finally, the class
hours of Armenian language classes are often reduced by school
principals. 89
In May 2018, Nikol Pashinyan visited Javakhk, where he
addressed the urgency to prevent and counteract emigration in the region.
The question is - how can this be achieved? Eduard Ayvazyan suggests
that Pashinyan may encourage Armenian businessmen to invest in
Javakhk. This could be beneficial for Armenians and Georgians at the
same time, as recently Georgian authorities have also started to worry
about the growing Turkish-Azerbaijani influence in the region. According
to Ayvazyan, a stable Armenian population can serve to balance this
influence. 90
The Cultural Heritage
During her recent visit to Armenia, Salome Zurabishvili met with
Garegin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians. They discussed the dispute
over the ownership of certain churches. The Georgian President
suggested conducting research for the clarification of the origins of
several churches. However, the spokesman of the Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia noted that the latter does not have
a law on restitution that stipulates the return of property confiscated by
the Soviet regime. 91

89
“Pahpanel Hayereny, Sovorel Vratsereny: Zruyts Javakhahayutyan Khndirneri Shurj
[Preserving Armenian, Learning Georgian: A Conversation on the Problems of Javakhk
Armenians]”,
Civilnet,
Accessed
April
16,
2019,  
www.civilnet.am/news/2019/04/16/Ջավախահայերը՝-վրացերենի-ու-հայերենի-
արանքում/358791.
90 Eduard Ayvazyan, “Inchpes Kareli e Artagaghty Kangnetsnel yev Skselhakarak
Gortsyntatsy Javakhkum [How to Stop Emigration and Start the Opposite Process
inJavakhk?]”,
Akhaltskha.net,
Accessed
June
22,
2018,
http://akhaltskha.net/2018/06/22/%D5%AB%D5%B6%D5%B9%D5%BA%D5%A5%D5
%9E%D5%BD-%D5%AF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A5%D5%AC%D5%AB-%D5%A7-
%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%BF%D5%A1%D5%A3%D5%A1%D5%B2%D5%A9%D5%A
8%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%A3%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%81%D5%B6%D5%
A5/.
91 Lusine Musayelyan, “Zurabishvilii Hayastanyan Aytsits Heto Vrastanum Haykakan
Yekeghetsineri Shurj Vechery Krkin Tezhatsel en [After the Zurabishvili's Visit to
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