Georgia*s multinational state: Challenges of Minority Integration

Georgia was the most multi-ethnic country when it declared independence from the Soviet Union. With more than 80 ethnic groups represented in Georgia, the issue of national minorities is considered to be very delicate and politically risky. Georgia's Azeri and Armenian minorities are underrepresented in almost all official decision-making structures and remain considerably alienated from the socio- economic and political life of Georgia. These minorities exhibit a poor knowledge of Georgian language and it effectively hinders their access to higher education, information, representation in public affairs, especially government. The bloody conflict experiences in South Ossetia and Abkhazia have created fears among Georgians, who think other minorities also seek ?further disintegration? of Georgia and have ?hidden nationalist cravings?. President Saakashvili has indeed taken some steps to improve the lives of minorities, but the reforms are mainly half-hearted and insufficient when a significant part of the population still does not speak the same language and feel alienated.

Vugar Gojayev is a human rights activist and political analyst based in Baku. He has extensively published many articles and co-authored international policy briefings on Azerbaijan and Southern Caucasus. He holds MA in International Human Rights from the University of Essex, UK. He is married to Gunay Imanova and has two sons, Murad and Nihad.