According to the Minister of Culture of Georgia, Tea Tsulukiani, the Patriarchate will be in charge of the restoration works in the Gelati monastery complex, and the Ministry of Culture will provide the Patriarchate with relevant financial resources.

The decision was announced after a meeting held in the National Museum, in which representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the Patriarchate, as well as architect-restorers and art experts took part.

"We agreed on the following, that the Patriarchate of Georgia shares my initiative regarding the fact that it should no longer be the Ministry of Culture, but the Patriarchate of Georgia, which should be in charge of the process of solving the issue, conservation and restoration of the Gelati monastery complex, as well as wall painting and roofing when the time comes. The Ministry will transfer the financial resources that it had to spend to the Patriarchate of Georgia, and with this financial resource, it will be able to lead the process of eliminating problems both inside and around the main temple, as well as in relation to other complex components. There are many other problems, the process of solving which we have started, and the Patriarchate of Georgia will continue solving these problems," said Thea Tsulukiani.

According to the Deputy Head of the Architecture, Art and Restoration Center of the Patriarchate of Georgia, Metropolitan Davit Makharadze of Alaverdi, the works will be led by the Patriarchate, and the Ministry of Culture will participate in monitoring and inspection in this process.

According to him, a working group will be formed at the next meeting.

"At this stage, carrying out of works, responsibility for each direction, all opportunities, financial and human, will be transferred to the Patriarchate, and the Ministry will also be involved in this process in terms of on-site monitoring, inspection and care of the monastery complex.

There was no talk about specific individuals today, the goal of the next meetings will be to select members of this or that direction group one by one, and probably Chubinashvili Institute will also be involved. Whether they will be specifically those who took steps prematurely or not, it cannot be said yet, but at the next meeting the entire working group will be formed by mutual agreement," said Metropolitan of Alaverdi, Davit Makharadze.