Pope Francis Meets Georgian President

Pope Francis received on April 10 Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and had a “cordial discussions” on development of bilateral relations, the Vatican said in a statement.

It said that “various themes of mutual interest, with particular reference to the positive contribution of the local Catholic community in the fields of charitable activity and education” in Georgia were discussed.

“Attention then turned to concerns regarding the tensions that affect the region and, with emphasis on the importance of full respect for international law, the hope was expressed that every solution may be sought through peaceful negotiation between the interested parties. Finally, mention was made of what has recently been achieved by Georgia regarding its own role in Europe,” the Vatican said in the statement.

President Margvelashvili, who started his two-day visit on April 9, also met under-secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States Antoine Camilleri.

“It was noted that the Holy See remains an active supporter of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty that is extremely important for Georgia,” Georgian president’s office said. “It was noted that artificially created barriers and dividing lines should not exist in the 21st century.”