The News in Brief
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Hurricane Causes Severe Damage to Alaverdi Monastery Complex in Kakheti
The Georgian Cultural Heritage Agency has reported significant damage to the historic Alaverdi monastery complex in Kakheti following a devastating hurricane. According to agency officials, the monastery complex, a cultural treasure of Georgia, suffered extensive structural and infrastructural damage during the natural disaster.
"The hurricane has left the dome's tin cover damaged, windows on the western side of the temple shattered, and structural elements like the bell tower's tin roof and the episcopal palace's tile roof severely affected. The balcony of the palace collapsed, and even a cross fell from the temple's dome," stated the Georgian Cultural Heritage Agency.
Currently, experts from the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia are assessing the full extent of the damage.
The Georgian Cultural Heritage Agency emphasized that immediate steps will be taken to restore the damaged sections of the monastery complex and ensure its preservation as an integral part of Georgia's cultural heritage.
Michael Roth: Georgia's EU Negotiations Blocked by Anti-European Government
Michael Roth, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Bundestag, criticized Georgia's delayed accession negotiations with the European Union due to an "anti-European government" in Tbilisi.
"The accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova are finally starting. Unfortunately, the anti-European government is blocking Georgia's opening of long-delayed [accession] negotiations with Brussels. We need to learn from our mistakes with the Western Balkans: ultimately we need more speed, ambition and a precise road map. Expansion should not be an empty promise, but an achievable goal. If Montenegro continues to reform quickly, it could have the job done by 2028. We need role models who will give us the courage to believe that the effort is really worth it," Roth wrote.
Hurricane Causes Severe Damage to Alaverdi Monastery Complex in Kakheti
"The hurricane has left the dome's tin cover damaged, windows on the western side of the temple shattered, and structural elements like the bell tower's tin roof and the episcopal palace's tile roof severely affected. The balcony of the palace collapsed, and even a cross fell from the temple's dome," stated the Georgian Cultural Heritage Agency.
Currently, experts from the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia are assessing the full extent of the damage.
The Georgian Cultural Heritage Agency emphasized that immediate steps will be taken to restore the damaged sections of the monastery complex and ensure its preservation as an integral part of Georgia's cultural heritage.
Michael Roth: Georgia's EU Negotiations Blocked by Anti-European Government
"The accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova are finally starting. Unfortunately, the anti-European government is blocking Georgia's opening of long-delayed [accession] negotiations with Brussels. We need to learn from our mistakes with the Western Balkans: ultimately we need more speed, ambition and a precise road map. Expansion should not be an empty promise, but an achievable goal. If Montenegro continues to reform quickly, it could have the job done by 2028. We need role models who will give us the courage to believe that the effort is really worth it," Roth wrote.