Baku outraged by Georgian Patriarchate’s “unacceptable” remarks over church in Azerbaijan’s Gakh district

Kurmukh Church, Azerbaijan-Georgia

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has protested against a statement by the Georgian Patriarchate regarding the restoration of a church in Azerbaijan’s Gakh district.

The Patriarchate said the Church of St George, known as the Kurmukh Church, is an important monument of Georgia’s spiritual and cultural heritage. It expressed outrage that restoration work was being carried out without coordination with Tbilisi and without official information from Baku.

The Patriarchate also said the church is located in the “historical [Georgian region of] Hereti”.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the Patriarchate’s statement regarding the church, known in Azerbaijan as Kurmuk, amounted to a territorial claim against Azerbaijan.

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What happened

In a statement published on 24 September, the Georgian Patriarchate expressed concern over ongoing work at the Kurmukh Church and the surrounding area, noting that although the church is currently located in Azerbaijan, it is an important monument of Georgia’s historical and spiritual heritage and of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

“Any interventions carried out both in the church itself, in historic Hereti, and in the surrounding area are of particular concern to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Many questions arise due to both the unclear purpose of the work and the restoration of a monument of Georgian cultural heritage without the consent of the Georgian side,” the statement said.

According to the Patriarchate, it has not received any official information from the relevant Azerbaijani state authorities about the ongoing work at the Kurmukh Church.

The church believes that the relevant Georgian state authorities should be involved in the process and determine what work is being carried out at the church, what research it is based on and who is conducting it.

The Patriarchate also called for its representatives and Georgian specialists to be included in the discussions.

“Only timely and coordinated cooperation can ensure the proper protection and preservation of this monument of Georgian spiritual and cultural heritage,” the Georgian Patriarchate said.

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What Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry says

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said that the Georgian Patriarchate’s statement regarding the church, known in Azerbaijan as Kurmuk, amounted to a territorial claim against Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijan has always respected the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. At the same time, the Georgian side’s demonstration of the same respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan constitutes an important foundation of the strategic partnership relations established between the two countries. […]

In this regard, repetition of the the known approaches of the Armenian Church or following its path is not recommended. […] All historical, cultural and religious monuments located in the territory of Azerbaijan constitute an integral part of the national heritage of the Azerbaijani people and the Azerbaijani state,” the ministry said.

The statement also said it was “unacceptable to refer to geographical and historical toponyms located in the territory of Azerbaijan by other names.”

“It is important that religious institutions refrain from approaches that could undermine the historical bonds of friendship and good-neighbourhood that have developed between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia over the centuries,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said.

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