Prime Minister of Ukraine meets with Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia

Denis Shmygal at a meeting with Patriarch Elijah. Photo: Facebook / Andrii Yurash

On June 3, 2021, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal, who arrived in Georgia on an official visit, visited the Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia.

The photos of the meeting, which took place in the building of the Georgian Patriarchate, were posted on its Facebook page by the head of the Department for Religion, Ensuring the Right of Citizens to Freedom of Worldview and Religion of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Andrey Yurash.

“In the hall for receiving official delegations, in a warm atmosphere of sincere understanding and a sense of common goals, the Head of the Georgian Church and the Head of the Ukrainian Government exchanged views on a wide range of issues on the agenda. <...> There is no doubt that today's meeting in the Patriarchate of Georgia will take its due and important place in the system of relations that have developed today between Ukraine and Georgia,” wrote Andriy Yurash.

As reported in the Public Relations Service of the Patriarchate of Georgia, at the meeting they talked about fraternal relations between the two countries and the prospects for their deepening.

“The Catholicos-Patriarch blessed the guests and wished them a peaceful and successful activity,” reads a post on the Service's Facebook page.

Later, information about the meeting took place on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. They clarified that at a meeting with Patriarch Elijah, the prime minister spoke about the role of the spiritual and religious component in the formation and further development of Ukraine and Georgia.

“Denis Shmygal stressed that the national histories of Georgia and Ukraine, in particular the paths of development of the Orthodox Churches, are similar. The Head of Government noted that Ukraine and Georgia are moving together along the road of European integration. The Prime Minister also noted the importance of the spiritual and religious component for the formation and further development of both states,” the statement says.

“There is no doubt that in this area we must act together,” Shmygal was quoted as saying on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal met with the head of Phanar, assuring him of full administrative support for the OCU and "transfers" of the temples of the canonical UOC.

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