On the fringes of a regional energy summit in Poland, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss the situation surrounding the Davit Gareji monastery complex, which is located on a disputed section of the Georgian-Azerbaijani border. Upon arriving in Tbilisi, the president made a statement on the results of the summit and on his discussion with Aliyev.
"Yesterday we signed a very important agreement. Two summits were held in parallel on the construction of an oil pipeline - one in Warsaw and one in Asgabat, Turkmenistan. The latter was planned after the first one was announced. Despite this split, a key agreement was still reached. Georgia will be one of the most important points along this strategic route. As such, this is a geopolitical breakthrough.
"I discussed the issue of the Davit Gareji monastery complex with our friend Ilham Aliyev. We agreed that Georgian and Azerbaijani working groups would meet in the near future to demarcate the border in such a way that the strategic heights which Azerbaijan needs are within that country's borders while the Davit Gareji complex remains entirely on the territory of the Georgian state," President Saakashvili said.
Press Office
of the President of Georgia