On 9 October, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia conducted his first official visit abroad to Azerbaijan where he met with President Ilham Aliyev. Gakharia said that choosing Azerbaijan as the first destination was not random. “Our partnership has exceeded regional boundaries and been upgraded to an international level, especially in terms of economy, transport and trade. We both support each other in international formats. We are grateful for your support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Gakharia said, adding that Georgian and Azerbaijani people have developed “particularly warm and close relations” over the centuries. Throughout the meeting, the parties discussed issues of vital importance, including major aspects of strategic partnership and joint regional projects.
The issue of David Gareja was also high on the agenda during the meeting. “We could not avoid discussing such an important issue as the David Gareja Monastery. Everyone knows that unfortunately, there are sections at the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan that have not been established, this is our post-Soviet legacy, and this problem has not been resolved for 25 years,” Gakharia said. He added that he had an open conversation with Aliyev regarding this issue and that the churches within the David Gareja Complex will open to Georgian clergymen from the 11 October. “We have repeatedly stated that this problem must be resolved within the national interest of the two countries, taking into account its historical heritage. This is the most important component of our approach. I would also like to remind you that our citizens are responsible and cautious in the context of every step [and] word… [W]e should all remember that love and patriotism do not mean pseudo-patriotic expressions and thoughtless steps,” Gakharia concluded.
Sozar Subari, Gakharia’s Advisor on Regional Affairs also spoke about the issue of the monastery. He said that it is a vulnerable issue for every Georgian person. “The commission, [working on the problem] will complete its task in the way as historic justice and international agreements require. We do not expect another approach from out friend country,” he added.
On 7 October, the Azerbaijani authorities opened a new border outpost at the David Gareja monastery border section shared with Georgia. The opening ceremony was attended by the chief of the Azerbaijani border service Elchin Guliyev and the head of the executive branch of the Agstafa region Nizameddin Guliyev.
According to Azerbaijani officials, the outpost is equipped with all the necessary equipment that meets modern requirements. At the opening, outpost staff were called upon to “protect the historical and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people,'' in addition to protecting the border.
A day later, Patriarch of the Georgian Catholics Ilia II voiced his concerns in regard to these developments and addressed Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani, Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri and the Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikh ul-Islam Haji Allahshükür Hummat Pashazade with a letter regarding two other monasteries on the border. Ilia II expressed his hopes that the Georgian and Azerbaijani people will evaluate the situation correctly and will make a fair decision, and that there will be no alternative to the neighbour-friendly relations between the two nations. The talks on the demarcation of the 166km disputed territory between Georgia and Azerbaijan are still ongoing.
