Government Increases Funding For Patriarchate

On March 19, the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze said that last year the government earmarked GEL 30 million [est. USD 11,194,000] in the 2024 state budget to support the educational projects of the Patriarchate of Georgia, which was since increased by GEL 5 million [about USD 1,866,000]. The decree, setting the amount at GEL 35 million was issued by the government on March 15.

In addition to these funds, the Patriarchate of Georgia also receives the annual funding in the amount of GEL 25 million [est. USD 9,328,000], bringing the total amount of state funding to GEL 60 million [est. USD 22,388,000] in 2024.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze denied that the increase has anything to do with the upcoming elections: “This funding was included in this year’s budget last year, so it has nothing to do with the elections, it is not a recent decision, a decision made right before the elections. It is important for us that the Patriarchate can implement its own projects, especially in the field of education.”

Meanwhile, on March 12, the Georgian government issued a decree handing over plots of land to the Orthodox Church in the Ozurgeti and Chokhatauri municipalities in western Georgia for a symbolic price of GEL 1 [USD 0.37].

UPDATE: According to a separate decree issued on March 18, the Georgian government ordered the allocation of GEL 7.5 million [est. USD 2,768,000] to the Orthodox Church for the restoration, conservation, and reconstruction works in the Gelati Monastery.

This article was updated on March 20 at 15:03 to reflect the Government’s March 18 decree.

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