“We have always been saying and still do so that Davit Gareji is a Georgian land. If there was an illegal alienation of territories, it is a crime against the nation and the country,” says the statement of the Georgian Patriarchate.

“What does the Patriarchate know about the new circumstances related to the maps?”

On September 23, 2020, the Minister of Defense of Georgia, Mr. Irakli Gharibashvili, met with the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and the priests at the Georgian Patriarchate.

The Minister of Defense presented cartographic material obtained by Mr. Davit Khidasheli. Also, the reports prepared by the relevant experts.

As you know, during the last two years, due to the strained relations linked to David Gareji, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia made a number of statements, addressed the spiritual leader of Azerbaijan, and asked the government to take effective steps so that our most important spiritual-cultural centre would not be questioned by anyone. Therefore, naturally, we also received copies of the obtained maps.

Today, raising this issue before the elections has nothing to do with the church,” said the Georgian Patriarchate.