Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has brought a holy relic of St Queen Ketevan to Georgia on Friday, Georgian Foreign Ministry (MFA) reported.

On July 10, the Indian Minister will participate in the ceremony of bringing the holy relic to the Holy Trinity Cathedral and donating it to the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church, MFA stated.

Minister Jaishankar will hold meetings with President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Vice Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava, MFA said.

“India, as per the regulations in force in the country, does not consider the possibility of transferring to other countries any historic property, including relics, discovered through archaeological excavations, as such archaeological discoveries are part of India’s cultural heritage. However, based on the centuries-long friendly relations between Georgia and India, the Georgian side, at the instruction of the Georgian Prime Minister, led intensive talks with the Indian side, in particular, with the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Ministry of Culture and other government agencies on transferring the holy relics to Georgia in permanent possession. Considering the friendship, mutual support, and close cooperation between our two countries, the Indian Prime Minister took this unprecedented decision on gratuitous transfer of the holy relic of St Queen Ketevan in permanent possession of Georgia,” MFA noted.

Indian Minister of External Affairs will also participate in the unveiling of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, dedicated to marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. India gifted the statue to Georgia, MFA added.

The holy relic of St Queen Ketevan once traveled to Georgia in 2017-2018 but returned to India and was kept at the Goa Archaeological Museum. This time, they will stay in Georgia for good.