FM Zalkaliani: 'Georgia has solid arguments to discuss disputed area of David Gareji in framework of Georgia-Azerbaijani joint commission'
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union back in 1991, out of its four neighbouring states Georgia has agreed upon its borders only with Turkey. Only two-thirds of the state border has been agreed upon with Azerbaijan so far, which on several occasions triggered tension in David Greji last year. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani said Georgia has come up with solid arguments to talk about the disputed area of David Gareji monastery complex in the framework of the Georgia-Azerbaijan joint border commission.
Zalkaliani said that Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan had recently visited Georgia and all issues of bilateral relations including David Gareji and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijani had been discussed during the meeting.
I tried to be very precise in assessments so that the issue could not be used for political manipulations, since the issue is very sensitive due to the existing relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan…The Georgian side has obtained important and supplementary resources including cartography maps and expertise conclusions. Due to the new circumstances, certain questions may arise regarding the agreements of 2006-2007 years”, said Zalkaliani.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office announced the launch of an investigation into the alleged unlawful giving of land to a foreign state. An official statement of the Prosecutor’s Office reads that ‘several sections of Georgia’s state border with Azerbaijan were agreed on improperly, against the interests of Georgia.
The Prosecutor’s Office says that an investigation has been launched according to information provided by the country’s Defence Ministry on August 17, 2020 referring to the activities of the Georgiann governmental commission working on the demarcation of the Georgian border with Azerbaijan.
On September 24, 2020 Zalkaliani said that new map materials found by Georgia may bring about changes to the Georgian-Azerbaijani 2006-2007 agreement on border issues which was made under the United National Movement government.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union back in 1991, out of its four neighbouring states Georgia has agreed upon its borders only with Turkey.
Only two-thirds of the state border has been agreed upon with Azerbaijan so far, which on several occasions triggered tension in David Greji last year.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has announced the launch of an investigation into the alleged unlawful giving of land to a foreign state. The Prosecutor’s Office says that the investigation has been launched according to information provided by the country’s Defence Ministry on August 17, 2020, referring to the activities of the Georgian, governmental commission working on the demarcation of the Georgian border with Azerbaijan.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that new map materials found by Georgia may bring changes to the Georgian-Azerbaijani 2006-2007 agreement on border issues. On several occasions, the unagreed border has caused tension around Georgia’s 6th century David Gareji monastery complex which is located at the conditional border between Georgia and Azerbaijan.
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 Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who has launched his tour with neighbouring countries by visiting Azerbaijan, has told Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that the “visit will once again show our allies and friends that there are no problems between the two countries which have not been settled in a friendly and brotherly manner.”
Two former members working on a state commission charged with demarcating Georgia’s border with Azerbaijan have been detained earlier today by the country’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office. The Prosecutor’s Office claims that the detainees hid an original map issued in 1937-38 and instead used other maps based on which the border sections between the two countries were agreed ‘against the interests of Georgia and history.’ The detainees are the head of the department for border relations with neighbouring countries of the Ministry of Foreigh Affairs of Georgia Iveri Melashvili and a senior inspector in the border protection department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Natalia Ilichova.
Civic activists and opposition politicians gathered in front of the Prosecutor’s Office in Tbilisi to protest the detention of two former members of a state commission that worked on demarcation of a border between Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The Executive Secretary of the Georgian Dream ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze says that the investigation must reveal whether the previous United National Movement was involved in the concession of 3,500 ha of land to Azerbaijan under the party’s leadership, including the territories of Georgia’s 6th century David Gareji monastery complex.
The lawyers of two detainees who have been accused of withholding materials from a border agreement with Azerbaijan that ended ‘against the interests of the state’ will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the refusal of a court to grant them bail.