Azerbaijanis in Georgia say Armenians resort to provocation

"Armenians living in Kvemo Kartli state that water line of the village Damia is blocked. Despite the Armenian village of Damia is meant for 170 families, roughly 70 families live there. Authorities of the region got familiar with water reserves in the village and found out that there in a storage of 200 tons now. Nobody blocked water. It is Armenians' another provocation,"  Chairman of Geyret People's Movement of Georgian Azerbaijanis Alibala Asgarov said.

Recently Armenian villages of Kvemo-Kartli region of Georgia sent an appeal to political and social elite of Armenia. They complained of anti-Armenian policy in Georgia and aggressive attitude of Azerbaijanis.

Complaints said the water line in the village Damia is blocked. They charged Georgian and Azerbaijani officials with this problem. Armenians living in Georgia, asked the Armenian authorities to keep a close eye on the current situation in Kvemo Kartli where Armenians live.

Hostilities were launched in the territory of unrecognized republic of South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Georgian troops entered the capital of South Ossetia - Tskhinvali. Afterwards, Russian troops occupied the city and drove Georgian military men back to Georgia. Russia recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, official parts of Georgia on August 26 and established diplomatic relations with them on September 9.

Asgarov said Armenian villages in Kvemo Kartli are situated in isolated mountaineous territory. There are no Azerbaijani settlements near them.

"Large water storage has been built in every Armenian village with the help of international donor organizations. Moreover, irrigation system of Azerbaijani villages stretches through the Armenian villages which creates a problem in irrigation," chairman of the movement said.

He explained activity of Armenians with upcoming anniversary of August events. "Armenians want to be at the center of the anniversary of the August events. They think that the Azerbaijan-Georgia unity is strengthened and force Armenians out the territory. It is a lie. It is typical Armenian illness. Provocation runs in their blood. Armenian provocation is a protest against the Georgia-Azerbaijan solidarity ", he said.

Asgarov said that despite Georgian Azerbaijanis have serious problems with drinking water, they did not apply to state agencies. "Roughly 55 of 60 villages of Marneuli region where Azerbaijanis live are short of drinking water. We do not apply to official agencies, because global warming is the cause. We do not politicize this problem", Asgarov said.

According to unofficial reports, roughly 500,000 Azerbaijanis live in Georgia mainly in Kvemo Kartli (Borchali). Georgians make up 70 percent of population. Roughly 380,000 Armenians, 350,000 Azerbaijanis, 207,000 Russian, 150,000 Ossetians, 100,000 Abkhazians, 80,000 Greeks (80 thousand), as well as Kurds, Assyrians, Udine, Avars and Kistins live in Georgia.

/Trend News/