On December 18-21, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia - Levan Kharatishvili and Director of National Agency for Cultural Heritage Protection - Nikoloz Antidze paid a working visit to the Republic of Turkey.

Within the framework of the visit, the first meeting of the JCC was held in Ankara on December 19, between the governments of Georgia and Turkey within the scope of the Cultural Cooperation Program for 2017-2021.

One of the main topics of the meeting was the protection of cultural heritage of both countries. The first meeting of the Commission was led by Deputy Minister Levan Kharatishvili and his Turkish counterpart Nadir Alazalan. The meeting was also attended by Gela Japaridze, the Temporary Envoy of Georgia in the Republic of Turkey.

On May 23, 2017, the Administration of the Government of Georgia signed a cooperation program between Georgia and Turkey between 2017 and 2021. The Parties undertake to cooperate in different areas of culture, including the protection and maintenance of cultural heritage monuments. For this purpose a special working commission is created, which is staffed by Georgian and Turkish specialists.

Within the framework of the first working meeting, the protocol was signed, according to which the meeting of the delegations of Georgia and Turkey is planned in Tbilisi in 2019. During the meeting, the cultural heritage monuments that require urgent rehabilitation works on the territory of both countries are aimed at improving their conservation.