On July 17 2014, between the Georgian Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection and Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia was signed a memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of protection and patronage of the cultural heritage. The document was signed by the Minister of Culture Guram Odisharia and the Metropolitan of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti, chorbishop of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Theodore (Chuadze).

The ceremony was attended - Director General of the National Agency of Georgia on Cultural Heritage Nikoloz Antadze, head of the EU Representation to Georgia Philip Dimitrov, Ambassador of Italy Federica Favi and other dignitaries.

This is the first governing document for the protection and patronage of cultural heritage after the signing of the Concordat (Constitutional Agreement between the State of Georgia and Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia) on October 14, 2002.

The memorandum was signed within the framework of the program on twinning the EU public services that is carried out by the National Agency of Georgia on Cultural Heritage since June 11, 2013.

Based on the experience and qualifications, the main partner from the EU side was chosen Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Cultural Works and Tourism of Italy and the Danish Agency for Culture.