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Interfax, Russia
Jan 19 2015
Georgia stunned by request to recognize hundreds of its churches as Armenia's
TBILISI. Jan 19
Tbilisi has expressed surprise at the reports that the Eparchy of the
Armenian Church in Georgia had asked the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize 450
churches located in Georgia as Armenia's.
"Deciding the religious affiliation of any particular church is not
the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection.
We treat the ancient structures as monuments of architecture and look
after them regardless of their religious affiliation," Georgia's
Culture Minister Mikhail Giorgadze told reporters last Sunday.
Commenting on the information released to journalists, Prof. Bondo
Arveladze, an expert on Armenia, said that Armenia's claims were
completely baseless.
"I am aware about this demand by the Armenian Eparchy to have 450
churches in Georgia handed over [to them] but these claims are
completely baseless and stunning. We do not know the whole list, but
similar Armenian claims have been considered before and in each case
they were not scientifically confirmed," Arveladze said.
Jan 19 2015
Georgia stunned by request to recognize hundreds of its churches as Armenia's
TBILISI. Jan 19
Tbilisi has expressed surprise at the reports that the Eparchy of the
Armenian Church in Georgia had asked the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize 450
churches located in Georgia as Armenia's.
"Deciding the religious affiliation of any particular church is not
the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection.
We treat the ancient structures as monuments of architecture and look
after them regardless of their religious affiliation," Georgia's
Culture Minister Mikhail Giorgadze told reporters last Sunday.
Commenting on the information released to journalists, Prof. Bondo
Arveladze, an expert on Armenia, said that Armenia's claims were
completely baseless.
"I am aware about this demand by the Armenian Eparchy to have 450
churches in Georgia handed over [to them] but these claims are
completely baseless and stunning. We do not know the whole list, but
similar Armenian claims have been considered before and in each case
they were not scientifically confirmed," Arveladze said.