Meeting of patriarchs in Moscow aims to ease tensions

Nino Edilashvili – 25/1/13

Leader of Georgia’s Orthodox Church, Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II, visited Moscow to personally receive the Russian Church’s award granted by the Moscow-based International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations. Also on the agenda was his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Russia’s church leader, Patriarch Kiril.

January 23, Ilia II met with Putin saying that Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili offered “a very warm greeting” to him. “Ivanishvili does everything possible in order to mend ties with everyone,” the Patriarch added. “I think that the problems that have existed between us will be removed and we will again be brothers.”

Putin replied that he was glad to see him in Moscow and thanked Ilia II for his efforts “to do everything” for maintaining humanitarian, spiritual and cultural contacts between Russia and Georgia.

The Georgian Patriarch noted that “the recent relations between these countries are not normal. “We should spare no efforts in order to bring these relations out of their deadlock. I want to say that Russia has the same desire,” he said.

Later, while visiting Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli’s workshop in Moscow on January 23, Ilia II continued the topic. “The goal of my visit is to start correcting the “mistakes” which we have made. I think we will need wisdom and braveness to correct them,” he said, adding that Putin and he had agreed during the meeting that “there is no way to continue [the bilateral relationship] this way.”

“What happened [in 2008] was neither Russia’s fault nor Georgia’s. It was the fault of individual persons,” Ilia II stressed.

The International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations awards annually someone who has worked to strengthen the unity of Orthodox Christian nations. This year, the ceremony was attended by ambassadors of other countries, as well as Russian government officials.

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