PM: We will firmly protect our heritage through close cooperation with church

Georgia is among the few countries where the Gospel was introduced in the first century through the preaching of Christ’s apostles, while the historic decision to declare Christianity the state religion 1,700 years ago shaped the nation’s development and identity, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said.

He made the remarks while addressing the international symposium “God, Homeland, Human.”

The Prime Minister noted that the Georgian Orthodox Church had served as the country’s spiritual pillar for centuries.

“The efforts of our greatest secular and religious figures over the centuries have been directed toward strengthening this solid foundation. The contribution of our great Patriarch Ilia II has been particularly significant in ensuring that the supreme Christian values underpin the construction of a modern, independent state and the spiritual unity of the nation in this process.

“The state pays special respect to these eternal values. Through close cooperation with the Church, we will firmly protect the heritage on which our national unity and development are based,” Kobakhidze said.

“God, Homeland, Human” represents the values that Patriarch Ilia II entrusted to us, the Prime Minister said, welcoming the symposium’s focus on examining the relationship between these values and their significance in contemporary life.

“I thank the symposium’s organizers, scholars, clergy and all the guests. I believe that today’s dialogue and future cooperation will make a valuable contribution to strengthening universal human values.

“I congratulate everyone on the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion and wish the international symposium productive discussions,” Kobakhidze said.