Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili met with the head of the Armenian Church, Garegin II, within the framework of her two-day official visit to the Republic of Armenia.

According to the President’s press service, the President of Georgia expressed her sharp position regarding the subordination of the Armenian churches located in Abkhazia to the Southern Russian Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to the President, this decision is perceived as a violation of the recognition of the territorial integrity of Georgia by the Armenian Apostolic Church and asked the Catholicos to change the decision timely and subordinate the mentioned churches to the jurisdiction of the Georgian eparchy of the Armenian Church.

The head of the Armenian Church said that “despite this temporary measure, the Armenian Apostolic Church recognizes the Armenian churches located on the territory of Abkhazia under the subordination of the Georgian eparchy of the Armenian Church”. The President of Georgia welcomed this statement of the head of the Armenian Church.

According to Garegin II, Abkhazia is the canonical territory of the Georgian eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is a fact certified in writing.