Fevered brains of Armenian separatists, or separatist training

The desire of Armenian nationalists to cede the Samtzkhe-Javakhetia region of neighboring Georgia, which they refer to as “Javarkhk,” is a well-known fact in the South Caucasus.

Many international organizations are also aware of their desire. Thank God that it remains a desire and no more, and Georgia's ethnic Armenians have yet to cede the territory.

Nevertheless, the brains of Armenian nationalists are undoubtedly burning with the desire to tear off a chunk of Georgia’s historical territory. If only their dreams were enough to satisfy them. But unfortunately this is not the case. They often take real action with the support of the Armenian government, the Armenian diaspora and Nagorno-Karabakh separatists.

Armenian nationalists held a “forum” recently to discuss their nationalistic territorial claims. The forum gathered youths from the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) and Armenian community in Georgia. The forum was appropriately titled “Artzakh – My Motherland." Some Armenians may have been born on  the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and others on the newly occupied territories. But how can Nagorno-Karabakh be the motherland of Georgian-Armenians? This is the question everyone should be pondering.

Worthy of note is that the forum was also attended by young Armenians from Tbilisi, Samtzkhe-Javakhetia and Adjara, alongside representatives of NKR youth organizations.

The forum, as organizers reported, aimed to facilitate cooperation between Karabakh youth and young Georgian-Armenians and acquaint them with the everyday life and problems of the NKR.

It is difficult to imagine what everyday life they were talking about. Problems? Well, yes. But everyday life? The lives of Armenian separatists in Azerbaijan’s historical lands are an immense problem. They could not establish normal activities in the occupied territories. Perhaps, the land simply did not accept them. So the Karabakh separatists aimed to exchange at the forum their alleged experiences with their compatriots from Georgia.

I am much sure that while visiting the occupied territories, the young Georgian Armenians' real objective was to adopt the separatists' experience back home in an attempt to realize their dream of making Samtzke-Javakhetia the second Nagorno-Karabakh.

Such separatist training will not end with this tour of Karabakh. Both sides agreed on a second tour of the region on May 9, 2010, as well as a visit of Karabakh youth to Georgia to celebrate the Sacred Sarkis holiday.

Surely, such training and sharing of “separatist secrets” will do little for Armenian nationalists in Georgia. They will never achieve their dream. But they are quite good at getting on the nerves of the Georgian authorities and local residents. If I were the Georgian authorities, I would pay close attention to how the country's citizens, even if they are ethnic Armenians, traveled for a tour to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, naturally via the territory of the occupant country.

Such illegal actions should be nipped in the bud, otherwise they should get ready for the jitters…

Hamid Hamidov
Day.Az