Domestic

Domestic

Ganira Pashayeva: Ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan do not have problem

12 June 2007 15:41 (UTC +04:00)

Georgian parliamentarian, Chairman of the Committee of Education, Culture, Science and Sport Nodar Grigalashvili demanded explanation from his Azerbaijani counterparts regarding the incident occurred during Georgian Education Minister Alexander Lomayaâ€™s visit to Gakh, Balaken and Zagatala regions of Azerbaijan on June 9, APAâ€™s Georgia bureau reports.
Mr.Grigalashvili addressing the Parliament yesterday wanted to send letter to Azerbaijani Parliament regarding the incident. Georgian Labour Party spread information that Georgian Education Minister was not allowed to meet with Georgian pupils and the books he presented were taken from them. Labour Party appealed to the Council of Europe regarding this and wanted establishment of special commission for learning the condition of Georgians (Inglioys) living in Azerbaijan.
The head of Azerbaijan-Georgia Friendship Group Ganira Pashayeva commenting on the issue denied the claims sounded in Georgia.
â€œMr.Lomaya held meetings in Gakh-Balaken zone. He was allowed to meet with the pupils in two places and it is not convincing that he was not allowed to meet with the pupils in one place. I contacted Education Ministry and local executive bodies. Georgian sideâ€™s program says that Mr.Lomaya wants to present books and computers to schools. If Mr. Lomaya wanted to meet with the pupils then it had to be shown in the program. The reports which say that the presents were received and then torn are false,â€ she said.
Ms.Pashayeva said that ethnic minority Ingiloys living in Azerbaijan do not face any problem in national and religious context. She said that rapporteurs of Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe have stressed this for many times.
â€œSuch statements of show character should not worry us. We recommend the Labour Party to read the latest report of International Crisis Group about the condition of ethnic minorities in Georgia (especially the section on Azerbaijan) before appealing to Council of Europe. They have got a lot of measures to take in this direction,â€ she said.
Parliamentarian also reminded that books were published for pupils of Inglioys schools at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and they are educated in mother tongue in Azerbaijan, and the state is taking care of them. /APA/