Patriarchate: UNESCO experts must be allowed to monitor cultural sites in occupied regions

Georgia’s Patriarchate is calling on the government to find ways to let UNESCO experts monitor cultural sites and monuments in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions.

The Patriarchate of Georgia’s Orthodox Church said in a statement yesterday that since Georgian experts do not have the chance to protect historic monuments in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) it is important that UNESCO monitors have access to the regions.

"We believe that the residents and relevant offices of these regions will not be against this initiative”, the Patriarchate said.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two breakaway regions of Georgia. Georgia’s central government has no control over them. Both of these regions have their own de facto leadership supported by Russia.

The Patriarchate’s statement came after reports that several historic sites and buildings are being destroyed in Abkhazia by Russian occupation troops in order to build a military base there.

"The latest reports confirm that an 8th-9th century church included in the Tsebelde castle complex has been destroyed and the same happened to the cemetery of the Polish people who settled there following World War II”, the Patriarchate said.

The office added that "it is concerning” that the historic sites are being destroyed during peacetime.

"All of us should unite to prevent Tsebelde castle from standing in front of the same danger and in general, to prevent similar things from happening elsewhere”, the statement read.