The Parliament of Georgia hosted the spring session of the International Secretariat of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO).

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili addressed the session participants in a welcoming speech.

According to the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili focused on the role of the Orthodox Church in Georgia and emphasized that the Assembly’s visit to Georgia is particularly important at a time when the country is celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity.

“For Georgia, Orthodoxy is not just a religion – it is the basis of national identity and historical continuity. Since the proclamation of Christianity as a state religion in the 4th century, Georgian Orthodox tradition plays a pivotal role in the preservation of our language, culture and statehood, especially when the country had to go through the most difficult historical trials. It was the source of our unity, resilience, and moral strength,” he said.

Representatives from 11 countries – Georgia, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Jordan, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia participated in the session.