Armenia Has Larger Emigration Problem than Javakheti, Says Georgian Presidential Advisor

The Republic of Georgia doesn’t recognize dual citizenship, so when Georgian Armenians come to Armenia, get an Armenian passport, and, as a rule, never return to Georgia but go to Russia for work, the number of Armenian residents in Georgia is reduced, said Van Baiburti, adviser to the President of Georgia on ethnic minorities’ matters, in conversation with Epress.am.

According to Baiburti, even if a Georgian citizen who acquires the citizenship of another country, in this case Armenia, returns to Georgia, his Georgian citizenship is annulled.

“He can appeal to the Georgian president, asking to reinstate his Georgian citizenship, but very rarely is this done — and only if that person has a serious merit for the Georgian state. I can’t say how many people come to Armenia from Javakheti and in this way depart for Russia — only the Armenian authorities can say that,” he said.

Though there is the problem of Armenians leaving Javakheti, Baiburti said, he has the impression from the press in Armenia that Armenia is confronted with much larger demographic issues.

Note, on the matter of dual citizenship, Republican Party of Armenia MP, Javakhk (Javakheti) Compatriotic Union president Shirak Torosyan in an interview to local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) on Saturday said, “Javakhq residents receive dual citizenship based on their limited circumstances, so they can go to Russia for work and support their families [in Javakheti], because they can’t feed their families there [in Javakheti]. But by raising this issue, we’re striking a huge blow to Javakhq Armenians.”

Photo: RFE/RL