A meeting with a representative of the organizations Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia, Fair Elections and International Democracy Society took place on February 21 at the office of Akhaltskha House of Culture. Various strata representing Armenian population of Akhaltskha: representatives of NGOs, students, pensioners were invited at the meeting.

The goal of the meeting organizers was before the local self-government elections to be informed of society's problems, at the end of which the organizations are going to present them to all parties functioning in the country.

Unemployment proved to be the main problem of Akhaltskha's Armenian population. Those present mentioned that its reason is mainly ethnic discrimination because it is Armenians who are mainly unemployed. They also touched upon health sphere problems, in particular, high prices for health services. The sad condition of communal services: water condition, old sewerages, town's pollution, rubbish, as well as the bad condition of roads was also mentioned. Residents of Akhaltskha also raised questions of the legal status of the Armenian Apostolic Church, return of churches and historic monuments, information blockade, illegal actions of customs employees, prohibition of Armenian books, newspapers and other Armenian-language literature, as well as giving a legal status of a regional language to Armenian.

The meeting participants will also meet with local Georgians and on February 23 the guests will also have similar meetings in Akhalkalak.