Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan is not negotiating an exchange of disputed territories in its talks with Georgia on delimitation of the two countries’ shared border, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman has said.

"An exchange of land located in the Keshishchi Daghi area on the Azerbaijani border is not a topic of the negotiations," Elkhan Polukhov said while commenting on Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze’s recent statement.

Kalandadze told a news briefing Monday that while delineating the Azerbaijani-Georgian border, Tbilisi will not cede to Azerbaijan the Keshishchi Daghi complex, which the Georgians refer to as David Garechi monastery. Kalandadze said Azerbaijan could grant the monastery to the neighboring South Caucasus republic in exchange for another territory. The Georgian deputy minister added, however, that the parties had not yet reached agreement and talks on border delimitation are ongoing.

Some Georgian newspapers claimed Monday that in lieu of the Keshishchi Daghi complex, which Azerbaijani historians say is part of the Alban-era cultural heritage, Georgia has offered to transfer the Erisemedi village to Azerbaijan.

Garib Mammadov, head of Azerbaijan's State Land and Mapping Committee, said earlier that Baku was not reviewing the Georgian claims to the historical monuments located in borderline territories, particularly the ancient Albanian church in the Keshishchi Daghi area.

"We are a tolerant country, and Georgian citizens are welcome to the church and can conduct their religious rites here," Mammadov had said.

Azerbaijan and Georgia have yet to delineate an estimated 180 km of their 480 km border, officials say.