On June 16, a group of citizens visited the Embassy of Georgia to Armenia to express their condolences to the Georgian people. On Sunday, June 14, there was a flood in Tbilisi resulting in 16 people killed and 11 missing. The flood also caused extensive damage to the Tbilisi Zoo. The citizens laid flowers and candles in front of the embassy. They were met by Senior Advisor to the Embassy of Georgia, an expert in Armenian studies, Nino Aktsiori. In the interview with the journalists, he said yesterday a book of mourning was opened at the embassy, and members of the Parliament, ministers and representatives of international organizations have expressed their condolences. “We are very touched that our pain is close to the hearts of the Armenian people, it’s very nice that ordinary people are coming to express condolences, share our grief with flowers and candles and stand beside us. On behalf of the Georgian people and the Georgian Government, I thank you very much people, we are brothers, and we know very well that our future, the peaceful Caucasus, depends on our good-neighborly relations and our consciousness.”
Journalist and publicist Gayane Arustamyan had also expressed her condolences. She said that she cannot remain indifferent to the grief of the neighboring people. “I think that the Georgian people who were always beside us has always supported us and Georgia has been a way of life for us during the war need to feel the support of our society. I would like to remind that during the devastating earthquake in Armenia, the Georgians were the first ones who visited Armenia with a rescue squad, and we cannot forget their solidarity and tangible support to us.” While the citizens were in the territory of the Embassy, Ambassador of Georgia to Armenia, Tengiz Sharmanshvili, came out and thanked them. The Ambassador appreciated the fact that the ordinary citizens are expressing their condolences. “You are true diplomats. I am a diplomat, but you are not paid for it. Before God, you are higher than me.”
Ami CHICHAKYAN
