Azerbaijani border guards allow public into David Gareji monastery – problem temporarily solved
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that the Georgian government has reacted immediately to settle the David Gareji problem in a timely manner. Photo: Agenda.ge.
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Azerbaijani border guards have now allowed clerics and visitors to enter the medieval Georgian monastery David Gareji, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said.
Clerics of the monastery complex located at the Georgia-Azerbaijan border told the media earlier today that Azerbaijani border guards did not allow them into the Udabno Monastery of the complex and also prevented visitors and pilgrims from entering the oldest sections of the monastery complex.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili visited David Gareji and spoke with border guards on April 20, saying that the border with Azerbaijani should be demarcated in a timely manner. Photo: President's press office.
They said that the problems regarding the entry started two days ago, shortly after the Georgian President Salome Ziurabishvili’s visit at the historic site.
The Azerbaijani government has made the decision to open the closed points. We have immediately reacted to the issue. I have spoken with my Azerbaijani colleague and Georgian Interior Minister has contacted his colleague in the country. The problem has been settled for now,” Zalkaliani said.
David Gareji is the 6th century monastery complex. Photo: Agenda.ge.
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.
The demarcation of the border will remove such artificial tension,” head of the president’s administration Lasha Zhvania said at a special briefing earlier today.
Georgia has demarcated the border only with Turkey after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia need to be agreed upon still.
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.
Clerics of the mediaeval David Gareji monastery complex at the Georgia-Azerbaijan border area say that Azerbaijani border guards are not allowing them into the Udabno Monastery of the complex and are also preventing visitors and pilgrims from entering the oldest sections of the monastery complex.
European experts have published a report for rehabilitating David Gareji, one of the principal monuments of cultural heritage in Georgia, after it was named among Europe’s seven most endangered sites last year.
The David Gareji Monasteries and Hermitage, one of Georgia’s most cherished cultural heritage sites, has been included on a list of Europe’s seven most endangered monuments of this year, facilitating upcoming international efforts for its preservation.
The David Gareji Monasteries and Hermitage, one of Georgia’s most revered sites of cultural heritage, is in focus of a delegation of European experts looking to safeguard the endangered monument.
The Georgian Patriarchate has stated that positive steps have also been taken during the “active negotiations” of Georgia and Azerbaijan regarding Georgia’s 6th century monastery complex David Gareji located at the conditional border between the two countries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Archimandrite Kirion says that Azerbaijani border guards have opened a tent on the territory of Georgia’s 6th century monastery complex David Gareji, which is located at the conditional border between Georgia and Azerbaijan.The cleric cites Azerbaijani border guards as saying that the tent is “a temporary measure and will be removed as the situation becomes stable.”
Georgian clerics in the 6th Century David Gareji monastery complex, which lies on the conditional border with Azerbaijan, have reported the construction of ‘two huge barracks by Azerbaijan right near the monastery complex.’