Ex-Prime Minister Questioned on Cartographer’s Case

On November 21, former Georgia Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli testified in the “Cartographers’ Case,” a contentious 2020 investigation where the ruling GD party gpvernment accused civil servants of alleged efforts to cede land to Azerbaijan. During his testimony, he stated he lacked information about the 1:200,000 map and emphasized that decisions regarding border delineation with Azerbaijan fell under the former President’s purview.

Noghaideli, who served as Prime Minister under Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency, revealed that the issue of keeping the Davit-Gareji monastery complex in its entirety on Georgian territory was raised by the president at a meeting of the National Security Council in late 2005. According to Noghaideli, at the meeting the members of the border Demarcation and Delimitation Commission stated that as a result of their work it had become clear that, according to all available documents, information and maps, several monasteries of the Davit-Gareji monastery complex fell on the Azerbaijani side of the border. According to the ex-PM, an informal decision was made at the meeting to try to preserve Davit-Gareji as a Georgian monument.

He also said that had he known about any additional information or 1938 1:200,000-scale topographic map he would have done anything to get hold of that information.

Regarding reports about Georgia’s preparedness to swap other territories in exchange for the Davit-Gareji complex sections (including Bertubani), Nogaideli asserted, “I would agree with that,” emphasizing his support for such an exchange.

A lawyer in the case, Giorgi Mshvenieradze, commented on the court session on social media. He emphasized that for three years this “arbitrary investigation has been interrogating people who have no real information about the case”, and the issue of delimitation of the border is still unresolved. He noted that when the people who are brought to court by the Prosecutor’s office are asked anything, they stare at the Prosecutor’s faces and are afraid to answer anything that would “ruin the case”.

“For example, former Prime Minister Noghaideli only learned today that the Prime Minister heads a government that conducts foreign policy,”- wrote Mshvenieradze. ” I was only responsible for the economy, he [Noghaideli] says, that is the function of the Prime Minister. It is and was his responsibility, but he has never been interested in what the agreement between Azerbaijan and Georgia was, what are the historical sources, what are the documents, what are the circumstances. But he doesn’t know and apparently he didn’t care,” – writes Mshvenieradze. The lawyer also said that Noghaideli “was never interested in the activities of the Commission, which held regular meetings with the Azeri side”, he didn’t care, he “didn’t even look into the matter, never held meetings and never asked anyone… but still thinks that it is the responsibility of others to decide on these issues, therefore his testimony is not credible”.

Also Read:

• 15/09/2021 – Leaks: Defense Official Briefed Russia-Linked Politician on Cartographers’ Case
• 08/10/2020 – Opposition, Activists Rally in Support of Detained State Experts
• 08/10/2020 – CSOs Say Azerbaijan Land Ceding Case ‘Politically Motivated’
• 30/09/2020 – Politicians, State Experts on Investigation into Ceding Lands to Azerbaijan
• 17/10/2020 – Defense Minister Speaks of Cartographers’ Case

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