Deputy of European Parliament: national minorities are discriminated in Georgia

The European Union is concerned of the situation of national minorities in Georgia, which "are exposed to language, social and religious discrimination." This is the topic of the letter sent by the Deputy of the European Parliament Silvie Guillaume to Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commissioner on External Relations.

Ms Guillaume has drawn special attention to that region of Georgia, where Armenians live. According to her story, the region lacks transit roads, and medical and social services.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that at the press conference on the situation in the region of Georgia Samtskhe-Dzhavakhetiya (Dzhavakhe), inhabited by Armenians, which was held on February 21, Grigol Vashadze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, said that there is no separate problem of Dzhavakhetiya: there is a general socio-economic problem of Georgia. However, Ms Guillaume thinks differently.

The European Deputy expressed her concern of the fate of Armenian political activist Vaagn Chakhalyan kept in a Georgian prison "on doubtful charges".

"The demands of his movement 'United Dzhavakhk' have peaceful character; they pursue only the recognition of civil rights of the Armenian population of Georgia, while the Georgian authorities conduct the policy of assimilation, especially after withdrawal of Russian bases in 2005," the "News-Armenia" Agency quotes Ms Guillaume's letter.

"We have no right to tolerate Georgia's violations of international norms and the right to fair trial. Under the programme of European neighbourhood Georgia received funding in the sum of 15 million euros on reforming the sphere of the judicature," Ms Guillaume wrote in her letter, urging to demand reporting from the Georgian authorities about the undertaken reforms in the judiciary system and force Tbilisi to observe its obligations, as reported by the IA "Regnum".