Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 June / Trend corr. J.Babayeva / The appointment of Van Bayburt, the Armenian by origin, as the Advisor of the Georgian President, Michael Saakashvili, on the international issues has caused dissatisfaction amongst the Azerbaijanis in Georgia.
"Georgian Azerbaijanis cannot address to Van Bayburt for their problems. Bayburt will not highlight and settle the issues of Armenians and national minorities in the country," Alibala Askarov, the Chairman of the popular movement Geyrat, told to Trend via a telephone from Tbilisi.
"Bayburt has been an MP from 1999 to 2004 and 2004 to 2008, as well as the chief editor of the Vrastan newspaper published in the Armenian language in Georgia. Bayburt was appointed as the Advisor of the President on the International Issue by the Presidential decree on 13 June.
Askarov does not believe that any Azerbaijanis will be appointed as the Advisor under the President on the National Minority Issues. "Supported both by Armenians and Azerbaijanis, I believe that the Georgian authorities will appoint Azerbaijanis to other state positions as well," Askarov said.
Ali Babayev, the Co-founder of the Georgian Azerbaijanis Congress (GAC) and chairman of the Public Union 'Georgia is my motherland', told Trend that he was informed about appointment of Bayburt as the Advisor under the Georgian President on the International issues, before the parliamentary elections on 21 May. "GAC was the first organization, which expressed its protest due to the proposal to create the Council of national minorities. GAC has proposed to create the Council with participation of all representatives of national minorities in Georgia. Unfortunately, only one person will be occupied with the issues concerning the national minorities in Georgia," Babayev said.
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