Inter-agency commission to regulate religious issues created

The board of the Inter-agency commission to regulate legal relations between state and religious organizations is known already. It will be headed by the State Minister for Reintegration.

The Deputy Head of the commission will be the First deputy State Minister for Reintegration. Other commission members will be: Deputy Justice Minister, Deputy Education and Science Minister, Deputy State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, first Deputy Minister for Diaspora issues, Deputy Finance Minister, Deputy Economy Minister, Deputy Culture Minister.

Commission Secretary will be the Deputy Head of the Administrative Department at the Reintegration Ministry. Reintegration Ministry will also supervise all organizational issues of the Commission.

The resolution about the inter-agency commission is signed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili.

Georgia has legal relations only with the Georgian Orthodox Church and it is regulated by the Georgian Constitution.

"As for other religious organizations, the state has no legal binding with them. This leads to misunderstandings, such as whether the construction of different religious buildings is legal or illegal, and what are their financial sources. I believe this Commission will regulate all of these issues and submit the appropriate legislative amendments to the Government and the Parliament,"- the State Minister for reintegration, Paata Zakareishvili said after the government initiated the commission.