Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 August / corr. Trend J.Babayeva / Azerbaijanis, who became refugees as a result of military operations in South Ossetia, have not yet been officially registered in Georgia.
"Although over 30 Azerbaijani families residing in Tedotsminda village of Gori region left the village, they have not yet been registered at the refugees' camp," Ali Babayev, the chairman of the Georgian Azerbaijanis Congress (GAC), said to Trend in a telephone conversation from Tbilisi.
On 8 August, Georgia commenced military operations in South Ossetia to restore its territorial integrity. Russia delivered blows to the territory of Georgia. As a result of Russia's attack, Georgia faced a lot of losses, some regions and cities of the country were destroyed and the infrastructure was seriously damaged.
The Russian Air Forces intensively bombed Georgia's Marneuli and Bolnisi cities compactly populated with Azerbaijanis. Marneuli's military airfield was bombed as well.
Ceasefire agreement was inked between Russia and Georgia on 12 August with the mediation of the international organizations and leading countries.
According to Babayev, there are mainly children and women amongst the Azerbaijanis who left the village. "It was impossible to contact with the elderly people and heads of families who remained in the village. Although the Congress's members wanted to visit the village, they were banned to do this," he said.
Babayev said the Azerbaijanis, who left Georgia, are the people visiting their relatives. "There are few Azerbaijanis living in Georgia amongst those who left the country," he said.
Refugee camps were formed mainly in Kutaisi, Batumi, Tbilisi and Marneuli, and over 700 refugees have populated Borchali, Babayev said.
The South Ossetian conflict did not result in dramatic destructions in the territories compactly populated with Azerbaijanis, Alibala Asgarov, the chairman of the Georgian Azerbaijanis' Geyrat National Movement, said to Trend . "Settlements around Gori Region, where Azerbaijanis live, were not damaged," Asgarov said.
According to Asgarov, Azerbaijanis, who left their houses around Gori, have been repatriated.
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