Georgia's Armenian and Azeri minorities

"Georgia's Armenian and Azeri Minorities," the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the grievances of these two communities. While there is no risk of the situation becoming Ossetian- or Abkhaz-like threats to Georgia’s territorial integrity, tensions are evident in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo-Kartli, where the two predominantly live. There have been demonstrations, alleged police brutality and killings during the past two years.

Georgia has made little progress towards integrating these minorities, who constitute over 12 per cent of the population. Armenians and Azeris are underrepresented in all spheres of public life, especially government, and a lack of dialogue between them and Tbilisi adds to perceptions of discrimination and alienation. This is aggravated by economic problems, including high unemployment and decaying infrastructure.

"Tbilisi needs to do much more to build confidence and to encourage minorities to address their problems through state structures rather than in the street," says Sabine Freizer, Crisis Group's Caucasus Project Director.

While the government denies there is any inequality, many minorities claim they are treated as second-class citizens. Feeling betrayed by the Abkhaz and Ossetians, who declared independent states on Georgian territory, Tbilisi has a deeply rooted, if unfounded, fear that others may do the same. More sensitive and effective minority policies would dampen such demands and might even help build trust with the Abkhaz and Ossetians.

Some steps have been taken to improve the lives of minorities. With donor support, Georgia has invested in road and infrastructure rehabilitation in minority regions and created a ministry for civic integration, established a public administration institute to train minorities and ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

None of this is likely to appease minorities' political grievances without policies that increase inclusion and participation. Implementation of local government reform after the 2006 elections provides a new platform for minorities to affect decision making through municipal bodies. More consultation by Tbilisi when drafting legislation can also help.

The government needs to establish a comprehensive education system to teach Georgian as a second language to minorities, but while a new generation is educated, minorities should not be discriminated against, especially in hiring for state jobs. The state should also implement its international commitments, particularly allowing use of minority languages for government business in municipalities with large numbers of minority citizens, as is standard throughout Europe.

"Only by acting on both tracks will Georgia succeed in reducing tensions and increasing minority integration," says Nicholas Whyte, Crisis Group's Europe Program Director. Reuters