A monument to Mikhail Avagyan, who took part in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, was erected in Bugashen village of Akhalkalaki region on January 20. This fact has caused a lot of dissatisfaction in the Azerbaijani public.
Head of the Azerbaijan Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, human rights defender Ahmad Shahidov, who gave interview to “Sabah” Television of Iran on this issue, said that the Georgian government should avoid taking steps to undermine bilateral relations: “Georgia independently determines its relations with its neighbors. Georgia is independent in building relations with Armenia as well. But Georgia should avoid the steps that will undermine relations with Azerbaijan, which plays an important role in Georgia’s economic and social survival. Azerbaijan has always supported Georgia, and in 2008, when it was in a state of war with Russia, Azerbaijan always extended its help to the neighboring Georgian people. Today, Azerbaijan is the most investing country in Georgia’s economy. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is the most paying company in Georgia’s state budget. Azerbaijan is a country that invests in social, cultural and humanitarian projects in Georgia. For all this, it is absolutely unacceptable on a sad day for the people of Azerbaijan, on January 20 to raise a monument to the warrior who has killed people of Azerbaijan.”