Gaharia: There are no problems between Azerbaijan and Georgia that cannot be resolved, but Georgian patriarch thinks differently

Baku /09.10.19 / Turan: "My first visit to Azerbaijan as the Prime Minister is not accidental. We are confident that with this visit we will once again prove to our friends and enemies that there are no problems between Azerbaijan and Georgia that cannot be resolved brotherly, friendly," the Georgian Prime Minister Georgy Gaharia announced this on October 9 during a meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The official visit of the Prime Minister of Georgia began with one-to-one meeting with Ilham Aliyev.

According to the Georgian side, the attention of the parties was focused on the main areas of strategic partnership between the two countries, and joint projects of regional importance.

"Azerbaijan and Georgia are closest friends and partners. Our partnership has truly gone beyond the framework of regional significance and has become a topic at the international level, especially in the economic dimension, in the areas of energy, transport and trade. Georgia and Azerbaijan strongly support each other in international formats. Of course, this is fundamentally important, and I thank for supporting the territorial integrity of Georgia," the Prime Minister said.

In response, Ilham Aliyev said that the first visit to Azerbaijan as prime minister testifies that Georgia and Azerbaijan are close friends and partners. "For us, Georgia is the closest friend, neighbor and partner. We are connected by history, geography and these are important factors for the development of our relations.

We support each other's territorial integrity and successfully cooperate within the framework of international organizations. Azerbaijan is one of the largest investors in Georgia. Our cooperation in the field of oil, gas and transport has risen to the international level," Aliyev said.

It should be noted that on the eve of Gahariya"s visit to Baku, the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II sent him a letter regarding the David Gareji Monastery.

The letter states that an agreement was reached between Georgia and Azerbaijan in March 1938 and June 1996, according to which the state border should be drawn in accordance with a map on a scale of 1: 200,000, published in 1936-1939 by the People"s Commissariat of Internal Affairs.

"According to this map, the monasteries of Udabno and Chichkhituri are recorded on the territory of Georgia (unlike Bertubani, which is also an integral part of the Gareji, but ended up on the territory of Azerbaijan).

We do not understand the actions of the Azerbaijani side, because of which since 2019 we have been deprived of the monasteries of Udabno and Chichkhituri and worshipers, tourists, as well as clergy, have completely limited access to them. It turns out that before the village, the existing reality this year, outside of any logic, has been changed, with which we cannot reconcile.

We demand to restore the previously existing status before the completion of the delimitation and demarcation process; not to cause problems for clergy and tourists who came to get acquainted with our culture and want to visit the monasteries of Udabno and Chichhituri. Maintaining the actual situation in such territory is urgent; and changing the situation without consent from another state, especially through violent acts, is completely unacceptable," the message says.

The Patriarch of Georgia sent a similar message to the head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus, Sheikh Pashazade. -02D-