Georgian Dream cabinet members, led by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, visited Vatican City on November 24 and met with Pope Leo XIV. This marks Kobakhidze’s first visit to the Vatican in his official capacity.
The delegation included GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, GD Culture Minister Tinatin Rukhadze, Head of the Government Administration Levan Zhorzholiani, and Georgia’s Ambassador to the Holy See, David Mekvabishvili. In May, GD-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili also visited the Vatican and met with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.
Kobakhidze said the meeting with the Pope was “very interesting,” according to the government administration’s press release. “The support of the Vatican and the Pope is very important to us,” he added. “The Vatican’s support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity is particularly important, and we emphasized this.”
“We also discussed the ongoing developments in our country and the challenges facing both our nation and the modern world, including when it comes to the struggle for Christian values,” he further said. “We had a very interesting discussion with the Pope about the challenges our country faces in defending Christian and traditional values.”
Kobakhidze invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Georgia. Speaking to reporters, he noted that 2026 will mark the 17th century of Georgia’s Christianization and said that “in this context, a visit by the Pope to Georgia would, of course, be very interesting.”
He met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
The government administration stated that “friendly relations” between Georgia and the Holy See were emphasized during the meeting. “The discussions were very interesting. All of this strengthens our belief that very close cooperation between Georgia and the Vatican will continue,” Kobakhidze said, as quoted by the administration.
Kobakhidze and the GD delegation also attended a concert by the State Chamber Choir of Georgia at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, held within the Vatican’s Jubilee celebrations, which take place once every 25 years. The program included, among other pieces, Patriarch Ilia II’s Ave Maria, performed by Yano Alibegashvili with the choir. The event was organized by the Georgian Culture Ministry in cooperation with Georgia’s Embassy to the Vatican, according to the press release.
Also Read:
- 06/07/2023 – Vatican Calls on Georgian Government to Return Catholic Church Property in Georgia
- 22/10/2018 – Vatican’s Foreign Minister Visits Georgia
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