Peaceful rally ‘Gareji is Georgia-Caucasus is Our Home’ held on conditional border with Azerbaijan
Rally participants say a “third force” wishes to worsen Georgian-Azerbaijani friendly relations through the use of the issue of David Gareji. Photo: Radio Liberty/Free Europe.
Tweet 
Share
Georgian clerics and public groups are holding a peaceful rally in Georgia’s David Gareji monastery complex, at the conditional border between Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The rally comes amid negotiations between Georgia and Azerbaijan on the border, which has not been agreed upon since the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991.
Clerics, the parish and people rallying now say that the sixth century Gareji monastery complex is the country’s cultural heritage and the border issue must be settled so that the whole complex be located within Georgia.
The rally will say that we do not want rivalry with anyone, especially with our Azerbaijani brothers. With the rally we warn everyone that no one will be given a chance for provocations and to inflict a blow to the region,” the statement released by the rally organisers reads.
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II urged public for wisdom regarding David Gareji issue.
The statement mentions the “the third force,” [allegedly Russia] which is interested in unrest between Georgia and Azerbaijan with the use of the Gareji monastery complex.
A third force was also mentioned by Georgian Patriarch Ilia II in his today’s statement.
The latest developments leave an impression that other force wishes to make relations tense between Georgia and Azerbaijan, which is unacceptable,” Ilia II said.
He urged Georgian and Azerbaijani governments to carry out an intensive dialogue “to settle the issue in a fair and timely fashion”, for the friendly relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan to be maintained and strengthened further.
The church is ready to actively participate in the process,” Ilia II said.
The Patriarch called upon the public, clerics and the parish to be calm and show “maximum civil responsibility and wisdom” regarding the issue.
David Gareji monastery complex. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The Georgian Dream ruling party members say that all the resources are available the issue to be settled only peacefully.
Azerbaijan is our friend and we have all the resources to settle the issue in a right way, in a calm environment. It is better to wait for the outcomes provided through the official format [referring to the Georgian-Azerbaijan commission working on demarcation of the border],” Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze said.
Georgian Environment Minister Levan Davitashvili said that “I am sure the two friendly nations are able to negotiate on such an important and sensitive issue as David Gareji is.”
Georgian and Azerbaijani border guards have been jointly monitoring the situation in the monastery complex since the morning.
“Azerbaijan does not plan any counter rally [as it was reported by several media],” the Georgian Interior Ministry says.
We do not expect any provocation. We are here to protect the safety of our citizens,” Deputy Head of Georgia’s Border Police Teimuraz Kupatadze said.
Azerbaijani (L) and Georgian border police officials in Gareji today. Photo: Interior Ministry press office.
He stated that Georgian border guards help the public to get to the Chichkhituri tower, where public is gathered.
We do it the process to be organized. When one group gets to the tower, another group leaves,” Kupatadze said.
The Georgian-Azerbaijan commission working on border issues met in Baku last week. The following meeting will take place in Tbilisi, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported without naming a date.
In April, Azerbaijani borders guards did not allow visitors and clerics into the monastery. However, the problem was resolved shortly after negotiations.
David Gareji is a complex of 22 rock-hewn monasteries and more than 5,000 sanctuaries and cave-cells, located in Georgia’s south-east, at the conditional border with Azerbaijan.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated that Azerbaijan has suspended the construction of a road near the David Gareji monastery complex in Georgia’s south-east, on the conditional border between Georgia and Azerbaijan ‘to avoid complications’ during the negotiations between the two countries to agree on the border.
The joint commission working on the demarcation of the Georgia-Azerbaijani border resumed its work today. Chaired by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Lasha Darsalia and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Deputy FM Khalaf Khalafov, the Commission held it first meeting in Baku.
The joint commission working on the demarcation of the Georgia-Azerbaijani border will resume its work next week. Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalklaiani announced at yesterday’s news briefing that the commission, which will be composed of new members, will be chaired by his deputy Lasha Darsalia.
Azerbaijani border guards have now allowed clerics and visitors to enter the medieval Georgian monastery David Gareji, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said. The president’s administration stated that it is important that the commission working on the demarcation of the Georgia-Azerbaijan border renew work on the issue.
Parish and tourists will be re-allowed to the Chichkhituri and Easter monasteries of the David Gareji monastery complex before the end of the week, Deputy Head of the Georgian Border Police Teimuraz Kupatadze said.
The Georgian patriarchate is against the initiative of a group of Georgian scientists who offer making a disputed section of Georgia’s 6th-century monastery complex as a transboundary protected area.
The Georgian Border Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has detained a citizen of Georgia for the illegal purchase, possession of firearms and hostage-taking on Georgia-Azerbaijani conditional border, the MIA reports.
Georgian citizen Giorgi Ichukaidze, who was detained by the Georgian Border Policy at Georgian-Azerbaijani conditional border on January 14, has been officially charged with illegal purchase, possession of firearms and hostage-taking.
The Azerbaijani border service has warned of possible provocations ‘by a group of Georgian citizens’ near Georgia’s 6th century David Gareji monastery complex, which is located at the conditional border between Georgia and Azerbaijan.