The Prime Minister of Georgia stated about the attempts of external interference in the affairs of the Georgian Orthodox Church

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze strongly condemned attempts to put pressure on the Georgian Orthodox Church ahead of the election of a new Primate. The head of the government emphasized that the process of selecting the Catholicos-Patriarch is a purely internal matter of the Holy Synod and should take place without external political interference.

According to the news portal«Imedi LIVE», on March 25, 2026, Kobakhidze announced the deployment of a full-scale «anti-campaign» against the Church. According to the Prime Minister, political opponents of the authorities and media controlled by them are trying to discredit the memory of the deceased Primate and influence the process of election of his successor, which he called «unhealthy phenomenon».

Irakli Kobakhidze emphasized that the Georgian government strictly observes the principle of non-interference in the affairs of the clergy, while «so-called experts» and opposition forces have launched an attack on church institutions. «Everyone should entrust it to the Holy Synod, which makes the decision,» — stated the Prime Minister, adding that the purpose of these attacks is the desire to belittle the role of the Patriarch and the wisdom of his rule, which united millions of believers of the Georgian society.

As a reminder, Metropolitan Shio, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne of the Georgian Orthodox Church , expressed official gratitude to the delegation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) for the fraternal support during the farewell to Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. The meeting of representatives of the local Churches took place at the patriarchal residence and was dedicated to strengthening inter-church ties at a time of sorrow for the Georgian people.