VISITORS BANNED FROM PART OF MONASTERY ON UNDEMARCATED BORDER

Описание: (20 May 2012) AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
SHOTLIST
1. Mid of monk going into his cell carved into the rock at David Gareja monastery, a monastery complex subject to a border dispute between Georgia and Azerbaijan
2. Wide monk going into his cell
3. Wide cells carved into the rock
4. Mid top view monks walking in the monastery area
5. Wide monks walking in the monastery yard
6. Wide top view of part of David Gareja monastery complex
7. Mid of visitors approaching Georgian border guards
8. Close border guard preventing tourists from entering Udabno Monastery, part of David Gareja monastery complex and showing the way to continue sightseeing
9. Mid group of tourists walking up hill, Georgian border guards in the background
10. Wide of caves in the mountain, a part of the complex visitors are not allowed to enter
11. Mid of caves
12. Mid of Georgian border guards walking
13. Wide of Georgian border guards guarding entrance to the Udabno monastery
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Koba Maisuradze, tour guide:
"The situation is very bad because all the travellers who planned their trip to Georgia already planned this site to visit and make a lap around this area and see completely everything that is possible to see, but now when the travellers come you just explain: 'I am sorry we are not allowed to go over the ridge and use the trail next to the cave flats or cave city, the monk city.'"
15. Mid of border guards Udabno Monastery roof on the background
16. Mid of Father Ilarion, head of the David Gareja Monastery
17. Church bells with the caves on the background
18. SOUNDBITE (Georgian) Father Ilarion, Head of the David Gareja Monastery:
"The problem of unsettled border between Georgia and Azerbaijan we have inherited from the Soviet era. But we had verbal agreement that until the borderline will be settled we will not be prevented from visiting Udabno monastery. Little bit further there is Bertubani Monastery about which we were waiting for the decision to be made. But on May 6 the situation has become tense when the Azerbaijan soldiers took their positions and said that we cannot enter the monastery."
19. Close up of cell caved into the rock
21. Mid monastery dome
22. Close cross
23. Mid priest standing outside David Gareja monastery wall
STORYLINE
Georgians as well as foreign visitors are being prevented from visiting parts of the 6th century David Gareja monastery, on an un-demarcated stretch of the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Father Ilarion, who heads the David Gareja monastery, said the two countries had agreed that visitors would be granted access to the Udabno monastery, in part of the complex that Azerbaijan claims.
However, he said, this verbal agreement came to an end earlier this month, when Azeri border guards took up positions near the monastery, refusing entry to visitors.
Father Ilarion says the issue is one "inherited from the Soviet era," when the borders between the two then Soviet Socialist republics were set in such a way that part of the monastery complex - an official Georgian religious and cultural monument - ended up in Azerbaijan's territory.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Tbilisi and Baku have been working on the delimitation of the border, but part of the monastery complex - including Udabno Monastery and the path leading to it - are on area that is still un-demarcated.
In order to prevent the situation escalating, Azeri border guards are not visible in the area, but Georgian guards have now been stationed there and visitors are being turned away.
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