Azerbaijan, Baku, August 7 / Trend D. Babayeva /
Azerbaijanis living in Georgia said that Armenians began provocation due to anniversary of August events.
"Armenians living in Kvemo Kartli, state that water line of the village Damia is blocked. Despite the Armenian village of Damia is calculated on 170 families, roughly 70 families live there. Authorities of the region got familiarize with water reserves in the village and found out that there in a barn for 200 tons now. Nobody blocked water. It is Armenians' another provocation, Chairman of Geyret People's Movement of Georgian Azerbaijanis, Alibala Askerov, told Trend over phone from Tbilisi on August 6.
Recently Armenian villages of Kvemo-Kartli region of Georgia received appeal to political and social elite of Armenia. They complained of anti-Armenian policy in Georgia and aggressive attitude of Azerbaijanis. Complained said that water line providing the village Damia with water is blocked. They charged Georgian and Azerbaijani officials with this problem. Armenians living in Georgia, asked the Armenian authorities to keep the focus of the current situation in Kvemo Kartli, where Armenians live.
Military actions 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.
Askerov said that Armenian villages in Kvemo Kartli are situated in isolated mountain territory. There are no Azerbaijani settlements near them. "Large barn for water is 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 Azerbaijani-Georgian 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 Georgian-Azerbaijani solidarity ", Askerov said.
Askerov 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", Askerov said.
According to unofficial information, roughly 500,000 Azerbaijanis live in Georgia, mainly in Kvemo Kartli (Borchali). According to statistics, 70 percent of Georgian population is Georgians. 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.
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