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Georgiaâ€™s claims on closing Georgian church in Azerbaijani Gakh region not true

16 October 2007 16:10 (UTC +04:00)

Subaru asked Elmira Suleymanova to take measures for removing close of Saint Georgi Orthodox Church in Gakh region of Azerbaijan. â€œAccording to information media outlets of Georgia spread local residents sealed up doors of the church. Local residents, and metropolitans of Nekres and Kheret Sergi Father confirmed it. According to gained information, residents will revenge priest if service is restored in the church,â€ the appeal says.
Georgian Ombudsman mentioned that it was contrary to European Convention on Human Rights and friendship relations between the two nations. Novosti-Gruziya spread this information quoting head of NGO named Center of Human Rights Ucha Ninuashvili on October 14.
Ninuashvili claimed that residents were frightened and therefore asks not to announce name of the person who spread this information. He said that they will appeal to Georgian Patriarchy and Georgian government on it.
APAâ€™s Sheki-Zagatala bureau revealed interesting facts on the issue. It was clear that it is not Georgian church, it is Albanian monument. This church is situated in Anbarchay village of Gakh region and it is called Kurmuk temple and it has been suspended due to repairs. Priest of Saint Georgi Orthodox Church is Georgian citizen Iosif Tomazovich Janbazishvili. As his visa period for staying in Azerbaijan expired, corresponding bodies recommended him to return to his country and come back only after preparing documents. The priest wanted to solve his problem by creating scandal between the two neighboring countries.
Azerbaijan Foreign Ministryâ€™s spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said in press conference today that information on closing church is groundless.
â€œNaturally, there are several forces wanting to spoil normal relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia. But Azerbaijan is a tolerance country. We have never closed church, synagogue and mosque. On contrary, we have always wanted their functioning in our country,â€ he said.
Head of Azerbaijan-Georgian interparliamentary friendship group, Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva told the APA, we can not speak about closing church in Azerbaijan.
â€œI regret that several Georgian politicians, parliamentarians spread false information straining relations. Everybody should realize that it can strain intercountry relations. Georgians living in our country are satisfied with Azerbaijan Stateâ€™s attitude towards them. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashviliâ€™s mother, head of Georgian-Azerbaijan Friendship House Giuli Alasaniya witnessed that high-level condition was established for Georgians in the region,â€ she said.
Azerbaijani MP underlined that there is no problem for ingilos and Georgian dealing with praying in Azerbaijan.
â€œAzerbaijan repaired churches closed in Soviet period after gaining independence. I want to say to Georgian Ombudsman that Azerbaijan respects all ethnic, religious minorities living in this country. We would also like Georgians to respect such ethnic, religious minorities,â€ she said. /APA/