Gela Bedjuashvili, Georgian Foreign Minister, said during today's press-conference being held in Tbilisi that Georgia may complete the negotiations with Azerbaijan on the demarcation of the state boundary within 2007, Trend Correspondent to Georgia reports.
He marked the importance of the fact that Georgia agreed on half of its state boundary with Azerbaijan. There are grounds and perspectives to speak that we can complete the process on delimitation of this country till the end of 2007, said the Georgian Foreign Minister. Speaking about the process of delimitation and demarcation of the Georgian boundaries with Azerbaijan, Mr. Bedjuashvili said that the negotiations on this issue had been held since 1996.
Within the negotiations on this issue, the parties have held 23 meetings of the authoritative commissions and experts groups of the two countries.
The Georgian Minister said that up to date 300 km or 65,5 % out of 458 km state boundary with Azerbaijan had been agreed. Mr. Bedjuashvili said that the Georgian party had submitted an alternative on changing the line of the former administrative border on the territories of the David Garedji Historical Monastery Complex (Sagaredjo District of Georgia), as well as the village of Erisimedi (Signakhi District of Georgia) to Azerbaijan.
According to the Georgian official, Georgia adheres to the position that the state borders of the country should also encompass the village of Erisimedi, the Monastery of Bertubani, as well as chapels and cells of the David Garedji Monastery Complex located to the south out of the Lavra of David.