Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III of Georgia received the presidents of Georgia and Serbia

On June 15, Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III of All Georgia received Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who was on an official visit to Georgia, at the Patriarchal Residence. The meeting focused on the spiritual and cultural ties between the two nations, as well as prospects for strengthening cooperation between Georgia and Serbia.

According to Orthodox Times, the presidents were accompanied by their spouses and members of their official delegations. Representatives of the Georgian Patriarchate also participated in the meeting, including Metropolitan Theodore of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti, Metropolitan Gerasim of Zugdidi and Tsais, as well as other clergy and officials.

The conversation took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The participants emphasized the centuries-old spiritual and cultural ties between the Georgian and Serbian peoples, united by a rich Orthodox Christian heritage.

Patriarch Shio III gratefully recalled the congratulatory message sent by Serbian Patriarch Porfirije on the occasion of his enthronement. He also noted the fraternal relations that bound the late Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and the late Serbian Patriarch Pavle.

Special attention was given during the meeting to the upcoming celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of Georgia. The Georgian Primate invited Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to participate in the commemorative events planned for this occasion.

The parties expressed interest in further strengthening friendship and cooperation between Georgia and Serbia, especially in the areas of culture, faith, and mutual understanding. At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants exchanged commemorative gifts as a sign of friendship and goodwill.

As a reminder, we previously reported that a cleric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church concelebrated with the Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Tbilisi.