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QUI PRODST? - WHO BENEFITS?
By Zaza Jgharkava
Georgia Today
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=10122
May 17 2012
Georgia
The Georgian opposition and the Russian media raised the issue of
the Davit Gareji Monastery Complex again. The Russian resources that
truly benefit from the misunderstanding and conflict between Tbilisi
and Baku are particularly active, especially in a situation when Baku
is slowly distancing itself from the Moscow orbit.
Everything followed the May 6 visit of members of billionaire
opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili's party to Gareji when
ecclesiastics told them about the situation in the monastery complex.
According to the monks, Azerbaijani border guards are not allowing
either foreign tourists or pilgrims to the territory. Thus, a new
scandal began.
Located in east Georgia's Kakheti region on the half-desert slopes,
Davit Gareji is a Georgian Orthodox monastery complex uniting cells,
churches and chapels dating back to the 6th century A.D. and is named
after one of the thirteen Assyrian monks who arrived in Georgia at
the same time, founded monasteries in various parts of the country
and made immense contribution to strengthening the Christian religion
and culture in Georgia. Part of the Davit Gareji complex is also
located on the territory which is administered by Azerbaijan and has
become subject to a border dispute between Georgian and Azerbaijani
authorities. The border demarcation process between the two countries
has been underway for the past two decades.
This week the official Tbilisi, then the Georgian Ministry of Culture
responded to the resumed scandal. According to the Deputy Foreign
Minister of Georgia Nino Kalandadze, the part of the Gareji complex
which caused the problem is not within Georgia's borders, "It is the
territory of Azerbaijan. However, the working group has been compiled
and the border demarcation process is underway." According to the
Foreign Ministry, it is in the interests of both sides to resolve
the problem and demarcation issues soon.
The Interior Ministry of Georgia also had to comment about the
territorial scandal. Shota Khizanishvili, Head of the Administration
and Public Relations Office of the Interior Ministry confirmed once
again that the territory under discussion now is the state border
of Azerbaijan. And those willing to visit the territory have to go
through special procedures similar to crossing any state borders.
The Georgian Minister of Culture explains the situation with the
attempt to cross this part of Gareji without a visa. According to Nika
Rurua, the information that suggests Georgian pilgrims are not allowed
to enter Davit Gareji is wrong. Rurua says that limitations do not
apply and will not apply to Georgian citizens. Azerbaijani border
guards however, did not allow foreign tourists who were without a
visa. The minister said it was an unfortunate reality that this part of
land belonges to Azerbaijan. According to him, "Restoration specialists
are working in Davit Gareji and they have not had any problems."
The border scandal promoted by the political group of the billionaire
two-weeks ago takes start from the 1920s. In 1921, the decision of the
Caucasus Bureau of the South Caucasus Federation, Sergo Orjonikidze,
proved to be crucial. Under his leadership the internal borders were
established. Back then, Azerbaijani and Armenian communists demanded
certain territories; in particular- Lore on the side of the Armenians,
Karaia Valley and Zakatala District on the side of the Azerbaijanis.
Georgian communists were not particularly active. Thus, Orjonikidze
decided the issue in favor of Azerbaijan and Armenia. He also
accompanied his decision with explanations: "It is shameful to
dispute borders between brother communists. When we make the world
proletarian revolution happen, there will not be borders at all. So,
why should we argue and offend our brothers."
The issue of "regaining" Gareji is not new. Back in 1988 the National
Movement was actively using the issue.
Now the revival of the hysterical atmosphere was largely supported by
the so-called "elite intelligentsia" of that period, which surrounds
Ivanishvili now.
"Davit Gareji belongs to Georgia and why should its part be on the
territory of Azerbaijan?" - authors of this statement did not and
do not think that Azerbaijan may have a different opinion. Whether
the idea is right or wrong, in Azerbaijan it is considered that the
Davit Gareji complex is part of the cultural heritage of both Georgia
and Azerbaijan, as the Assyrian monks contributed to converting not
only Georgia, but Azerbaijan as well, in particular, the resident
population of Azerbaijan - Christian Albanians. And Azerbaijanis
consider Albanians as their ancestors along with the Turkish tribes.
If you had asked Georgian intelligentsia before or even now, they
will laugh and say it is nonsense. But no matter whether it is-
nonsense or the truth, if Georgia wants to maintain good relations
with the neighboring country, it should reconsider its attitude. In
1988, there was no one to ask the "authorities" of that time: "The
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict started on the basis of the historical
monument origins and do you want to provoke a similar war between
Georgia and Azerbaijan now?"
A lot has changed after 1988, almost no one remembered Davit Gareji.
It is a fact that despite different attitudes, Azerbaijan did not
hinder Georgian ecclesiastics to live and pray in the part of Davit
Gareji, which is formally located on the territory of Azerbaijan. This
land is officially recognized as disputed and there are endless
negotiations on the demarcation issue. However, the negotiations
are in vain. This is why the opinion was raised that Georgia may
concede other territories (three and four times more) to Azerbaijan
and receive the Davit Gareji complex fully in exchange.
This statement was voiced but it did not have a warm welcome in Baku.
It can be assumed that the Azerbaijani authorities will not agree to
such a compromise. This country does not lack territories; it has
much more territories than Georgia. Therefore, the issue of Davit
Gareji cannot be resolved by giving them land.
First, the Azerbaijanis do not want to create a precedent of giving
away disputed territory, as it can work against them in the issue of
Armenia and Karabakh. This is why the best way-out of the situation
is leaving the current status quo: the territory is disputed but the
Davit Gareji complex is (fully) owned and managed by the Georgian
Orthodox Church. On the territory formally belonging to Azerbaijan,
the border guards do not limit the work and activities of Georgian
ecclesiastics and do not interfere in their affairs.
At the same time, the people who speculate with the painful issue
should be observed closely. They are "pressing the wound" of Georgia
and Azerbaijan, i.e. are trying to provoke political problems. The
healthiest and the most natural question that one should pose in
that case was left by the old Latins as a heritage for complicated
and uncertain situations: "Qui prodst?" - "Who benefits?"
By Zaza Jgharkava
Georgia Today
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=10122
May 17 2012
Georgia
The Georgian opposition and the Russian media raised the issue of
the Davit Gareji Monastery Complex again. The Russian resources that
truly benefit from the misunderstanding and conflict between Tbilisi
and Baku are particularly active, especially in a situation when Baku
is slowly distancing itself from the Moscow orbit.
Everything followed the May 6 visit of members of billionaire
opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili's party to Gareji when
ecclesiastics told them about the situation in the monastery complex.
According to the monks, Azerbaijani border guards are not allowing
either foreign tourists or pilgrims to the territory. Thus, a new
scandal began.
Located in east Georgia's Kakheti region on the half-desert slopes,
Davit Gareji is a Georgian Orthodox monastery complex uniting cells,
churches and chapels dating back to the 6th century A.D. and is named
after one of the thirteen Assyrian monks who arrived in Georgia at
the same time, founded monasteries in various parts of the country
and made immense contribution to strengthening the Christian religion
and culture in Georgia. Part of the Davit Gareji complex is also
located on the territory which is administered by Azerbaijan and has
become subject to a border dispute between Georgian and Azerbaijani
authorities. The border demarcation process between the two countries
has been underway for the past two decades.
This week the official Tbilisi, then the Georgian Ministry of Culture
responded to the resumed scandal. According to the Deputy Foreign
Minister of Georgia Nino Kalandadze, the part of the Gareji complex
which caused the problem is not within Georgia's borders, "It is the
territory of Azerbaijan. However, the working group has been compiled
and the border demarcation process is underway." According to the
Foreign Ministry, it is in the interests of both sides to resolve
the problem and demarcation issues soon.
The Interior Ministry of Georgia also had to comment about the
territorial scandal. Shota Khizanishvili, Head of the Administration
and Public Relations Office of the Interior Ministry confirmed once
again that the territory under discussion now is the state border
of Azerbaijan. And those willing to visit the territory have to go
through special procedures similar to crossing any state borders.
The Georgian Minister of Culture explains the situation with the
attempt to cross this part of Gareji without a visa. According to Nika
Rurua, the information that suggests Georgian pilgrims are not allowed
to enter Davit Gareji is wrong. Rurua says that limitations do not
apply and will not apply to Georgian citizens. Azerbaijani border
guards however, did not allow foreign tourists who were without a
visa. The minister said it was an unfortunate reality that this part of
land belonges to Azerbaijan. According to him, "Restoration specialists
are working in Davit Gareji and they have not had any problems."
The border scandal promoted by the political group of the billionaire
two-weeks ago takes start from the 1920s. In 1921, the decision of the
Caucasus Bureau of the South Caucasus Federation, Sergo Orjonikidze,
proved to be crucial. Under his leadership the internal borders were
established. Back then, Azerbaijani and Armenian communists demanded
certain territories; in particular- Lore on the side of the Armenians,
Karaia Valley and Zakatala District on the side of the Azerbaijanis.
Georgian communists were not particularly active. Thus, Orjonikidze
decided the issue in favor of Azerbaijan and Armenia. He also
accompanied his decision with explanations: "It is shameful to
dispute borders between brother communists. When we make the world
proletarian revolution happen, there will not be borders at all. So,
why should we argue and offend our brothers."
The issue of "regaining" Gareji is not new. Back in 1988 the National
Movement was actively using the issue.
Now the revival of the hysterical atmosphere was largely supported by
the so-called "elite intelligentsia" of that period, which surrounds
Ivanishvili now.
"Davit Gareji belongs to Georgia and why should its part be on the
territory of Azerbaijan?" - authors of this statement did not and
do not think that Azerbaijan may have a different opinion. Whether
the idea is right or wrong, in Azerbaijan it is considered that the
Davit Gareji complex is part of the cultural heritage of both Georgia
and Azerbaijan, as the Assyrian monks contributed to converting not
only Georgia, but Azerbaijan as well, in particular, the resident
population of Azerbaijan - Christian Albanians. And Azerbaijanis
consider Albanians as their ancestors along with the Turkish tribes.
If you had asked Georgian intelligentsia before or even now, they
will laugh and say it is nonsense. But no matter whether it is-
nonsense or the truth, if Georgia wants to maintain good relations
with the neighboring country, it should reconsider its attitude. In
1988, there was no one to ask the "authorities" of that time: "The
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict started on the basis of the historical
monument origins and do you want to provoke a similar war between
Georgia and Azerbaijan now?"
A lot has changed after 1988, almost no one remembered Davit Gareji.
It is a fact that despite different attitudes, Azerbaijan did not
hinder Georgian ecclesiastics to live and pray in the part of Davit
Gareji, which is formally located on the territory of Azerbaijan. This
land is officially recognized as disputed and there are endless
negotiations on the demarcation issue. However, the negotiations
are in vain. This is why the opinion was raised that Georgia may
concede other territories (three and four times more) to Azerbaijan
and receive the Davit Gareji complex fully in exchange.
This statement was voiced but it did not have a warm welcome in Baku.
It can be assumed that the Azerbaijani authorities will not agree to
such a compromise. This country does not lack territories; it has
much more territories than Georgia. Therefore, the issue of Davit
Gareji cannot be resolved by giving them land.
First, the Azerbaijanis do not want to create a precedent of giving
away disputed territory, as it can work against them in the issue of
Armenia and Karabakh. This is why the best way-out of the situation
is leaving the current status quo: the territory is disputed but the
Davit Gareji complex is (fully) owned and managed by the Georgian
Orthodox Church. On the territory formally belonging to Azerbaijan,
the border guards do not limit the work and activities of Georgian
ecclesiastics and do not interfere in their affairs.
At the same time, the people who speculate with the painful issue
should be observed closely. They are "pressing the wound" of Georgia
and Azerbaijan, i.e. are trying to provoke political problems. The
healthiest and the most natural question that one should pose in
that case was left by the old Latins as a heritage for complicated
and uncertain situations: "Qui prodst?" - "Who benefits?"