Georgian opposition accuses president of provoking third conflict around Keshikchi Dag

Baku/04.26.19/Turan: The historical and religious site located on the territory of Azerbaijan - the Keshikchi Dag monastery caused another political discord in Georgia. The Caucasian Knot blogger from Tbilisi said that followers of the former Georgian President Saakashvili raised a propaganda campaign against President Zurabishvili, accusing her of making an inappropriate statement that resulted in the third splash of territorial contradictions between Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The basis for such an accusation was given by the Archimandrite of the Georgian monastery "David Gareji" Kirion (Oniani) located in Keshikchi Dag. "The authorities of Azerbaijan have already blocked the monastery of David-Gareji complex for three days and do not allow clerics there," he said to the Georgian media. Azerbaijani border guards set prohibitory and warning signs on the paths around the monastery." According to Kirion, the situation worsened after the visit of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili to Azerbaijan in February 2019. While in Baku, the head of the Georgian state spoke in favor of the earliest possible completion of the work on the delimitation and demarcation of the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. It was noted that the issue would be resolved before the end of the year. This statement explained the actions of the Georgian border guards, the archimandrite, said eadaily.com.

After visiting Baku, where Zurabishvili declared the need for delimitation, the President of Georgia visited the David Gareji monastery on April 20, and again on April 21 she publicly recalled the monastery, stating the need for the earliest demarcation of the Georgian-Azerbaijani border, the presidential website said works in the monastery. Azerbaijan is not against the restoration of the monastery. "The church on Mount Keshikchi Dag needs to be repaired. This may be the reason that the monument was included in the list of threatened monuments of the organization for the preservation of cultural heritage "Europa Nostra", said the head of the State Service for the Preservation, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Zakir Sultanov, in January 2018.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Azerbaijani border guards have restricted the transition to the other side of the ridge. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Border Guard Service of Georgia appealed to Baku, the sides worked through the problem, and as a result, the unimpeded movement of pilgrims, tourists and congregations was restored, Georgian Foreign Minister Vladimir Konstantinidi said on April 25. The Georgian Foreign Ministry urged everyone to refrain from emotional actions and statements in order not to interfere with the negotiation process. "You know that we permanently ask to take into account our interests throughout the perimeter of the border and in this sector. We hope that the Azerbaijani side will treat the issue with understanding and will act constructively," the News is Georgia quoted Konstantinidi quoting.

In Azerbaijan, the official comment on the conflict was issued by the head of the press service of the Foreign Ministry, Leyla Abdullayeva, who declared Azerbaijan"s interest in the speedy delimitation of the entire Azerbaijani-Georgian border. Responding to a question about Georgian publications, Turan did not directly touch the temporary closure of the border at the Keshikchi Dag border guard station, but did not refute Georgian media reports.

Political analyst and deputy of the Milli Majlis Rasim Musabekov, also responding to Turan about the incident, said that there are no political problems between Georgia and Azerbaijan. The temporary closure of the border next to the monastery, he explained by the tightening the anti-terrorism border control for the period of the Formula 1 car races in Baku. Due to the influx of tourists, for their security control is tightened across the entire border of the country. This caused inconvenience for the citizens of Georgia visiting the monastery. After consultations of the parties, the problem was removed, Musabekov reported.

Twice, during the rule of Presidents Shevardnadze and Saakashvili, in Georgia, the public raised the issue of transferring Azerbaijani territory to this country, where the monastery is located. For the first time such, an appeal to Baku was made officially by the leadership of Georgia, with Tbilisi offering a larger Georgian section in exchange for this territory elsewhere. Baku answered with a categorical refusal, this topic was not raised between the two states anymore. In May 2012, protests were held in Georgia with demands for the authorities to achieve the inclusion of the disputed territory into Georgia. In March 2011, the Georgian opposition protested, demanding to stop the military exercises of the Georgian Armed Forces near the monastery, believing that the explosions had a destructive effect on the buildings.

Georgia and Azerbaijan have a common state border with a length of 446 kilometers, a third of which has not yet been delimited. The bilateral Georgian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission on delimitation and demarcation of the state border was established in 1996.

David-Gareji is a unique complex of Georgian cave monasteries, built in the sixth century. It occupies a territory of 25 kilometers along the slopes of the semi-desert Gareji Ridge. The complex consists of about 20 monasteries carved into the rocks. The main monastery of the complex is considered the monastery of St. David. In many churches and refectory on the territory of the complex murals dating back to the VIII-XIV centuries are preserved. The frescoes depict portraits of historical figures, including Queen Tamar. The part of the David-Gareji complex controlled by Azerbaijan, including the Udabno monastery, is located on the southwestern slope of the mountain. In Azerbaijan, this monastery is considered a historic Albanian architectural monument.