Minister: Azerbaijan to Open Closed Points at David Gareji Complex

Georgia’s Foreign Minister, David Zalkaliani stated that Azerbaijan will open the closed points at David Gareji Monastery complex that is located on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border.

Zalkaliani said Tbilisi reacted immediately after receiving the information from David Gareji clerics that their access to some monasteries had been restricted.

“We communicated with our Azeri colleagues. I had a conversation with my counterpart, and the Interior Ministry has communicated with their colleagues. The situation is settled, the Azerbaijani authorities opened the points that were closed," said the minister.

The minister added that Georgian side will work on the delimitation of Georgia-Azerbaijan border in the future.

Zalkaliani hopes that the process will start in the near future and the issue of disputed spots at the border will be solved through negotiations between the two sides.

The David Gareji Monasteries and Hermitages in Georgia is listed among the 7 Most Endangered heritage sites in Europe.

The site is a Georgian Orthodox cave monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia, on the half-desert slopes of Mount Gareji, 60–70 km southeast of Georgia's capital Tbilisi. The complex includes hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face.

Part of the complex is located in the Agstafa district of Azerbaijan which has many times been the subject of a dispute.

By Thea Morrison

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