Armenian-Georgian border problems

22/10/2006 Rafael TEYMURAZYAN

It turns out that besides the problems with the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, now there are problems with the Armenian-Georgian border. We don’t know whether it is by chance or not, but these two countries have started mapping their borders just recently and causing problems in the border.

NA deputy and historian Viktor Dallakyan says that as a result of this, Armenia may lose territories. Dallakyan said that he had recommended that the factions and the NA foreign affairs commission organize hearings in the parliament to discuss the issues having to do with mapping the borders of Armenia. The deputy assures that the latest contract between the two countries as independent states was signed in 1921.

“After that, the Soviet Union formed its state and the border issues were solved according to their “collective farm” methods”, said the deputy.

The MP said that he had asked the prime minister of Armenia what was a basis for mapping the border for them, to which the prime minister replied that Georgia had suggested considering the map of 1938 as a basis for mapping, which was rejected by the Armenian government. Besides that, the MP also read the written reply of the  RA foreign affairs deputy minister Gegham Gharibjanyan to the same question:

“Taking into account the mutual understanding of judicial terms, the mapping commissions of these two countries were suggested to work on the basis of the decisions of the central committee as of 1938 and finish their main work by the end of 2006”.

It means that, according to Victor Dallakyan, Armenia has agreed to lose territories; if we take into account the agreement of 1938 while mapping, Armenia will lose territories. “As for the statement of the government according to which the maps cannot be revised within the framework of the mentioned agreement, it is not justified since I have a map, which Czarist Russia used for mapping the borders of Soviet Armenia and Georgia”, said the deputy.

 
Dallakyan also said that in the mentioned framework he had received a letter from the head of “Lalvar” nationalistic organization, Garnik Vermishyan. Viktor Dallakyan presented archival documents, according to which before 1934, the Georgian villages of Chanakchi, Berdadzor, Akhkyolti and the Armenian Church belonged to Armenia, which was approved by heads of the Armenian and Georgian land management departments on August 10, 1928. Definitely, the main problem connected with the Armenian-Georgian border is the fact that it was mapped taking into consideration the forests. Viktor Dallakyan assures that the Georgians have cut the Armenian forest in Lalvar and Jiliza 1,5 kilometers deep and entered the Armenian territory. Viktor Dallakyan says that some Armenian officials have taken money to allow them to cut those forests and, what is more horrible, that wood was sold in Azerbaijan as well. “In other words, it is the classic political corruption” said Victor Dallakyan.

According to the MP, this year the prime minister of Armenia has signed a contract in Batumi, according to which Armenia will lose territories due to the fact that the 1938 agreement is still in tact. In order to clear things up, the deputy had brought a soviet dictionary with him to the parliament (1929), in which it was written that in 1929 the territory of Armenia covered 35,9 thousand kilometers, while currently it only covers 29,8 kilometers. The deputy said that most of the lost territories are in Georgia now. The deputy accused the current authorities of organizing an auction of territories. “They gave the territory of former Borchalu to Georgia. According to my information, the Georgians are more active now and are trying to make Armenia agree with them to take the map of 1945 and have that serve as a firm basis for mapping, which will be worse for Armenia”, assured the deputy. However, the deputy concluded that if our government agreed to take the agreement of 1938 as a basis for mapping, Armenia would lose 300 cm more territory from its 29,8 thousand kilometer territory.

P.S. We couldn’t get any information from the foreign affairs ministry concerning the announcement of NA deputy Viktor Dallakyan, but we will try again soon.