Vatican Foreign Minister Visits Georgia

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See (the Vatican) is visiting Georgia 21-24 October. Yesterday, he met with the Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze as well as his Georgian counterpart Davit Zalkhani.

The Georgian government press office reported that the visit will encourage productive cooperation between the Vatican and Georgia, further enhancing the centuries-old cultural and political ties.

Georgian Russian-occupied territories were a focal point of the discussions. Bakhtadze thanked the Vatican for “continuously expressing strong solidarity” with Georgia, so helping to protect the country’s sovereignty and territory. The duty of Russia to fulfil its internal obligations, such as the ceasefire agreement, was also mentioned.

Archbishop Gallagher expressed condolences to those affected by the 2008 war, considering the loss of control over the region of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia to be “alarming.”

Discussions also covered European integration, the “cornerstone of Georgia’s foreign and domestic policies”, Bakhtadze stated.

Minister Zalkaliani thanked Archbishop Gallagher for his support, tweeting: it was a “Great honour to host Secretary for Relations with of the Holy See Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. His visit is a demonstration of firm support and another step in further deepening our exemplary cooperation.”

The Archbishop Gallagher’s visit continues. He will also meet with President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Orthodox Patriarch IIia II, Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, the Catholic parish, as well as travelling to Khurvaleti, a village on the edge of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali Region.

By Amy Jones 

Photo source: twitter