Patriarch Ilia II says Georgia should be part of European democratic structures

Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II told a Council of Europe (CoE) official today that everything should be done to allow Georgia to become part of European democratic structures. 

Ilia II shared his views with head of the CoE office to Georgia Cristian Urse, a Romanian diplomat who visited the Georgian Patriarchate with his wife earlier today. 

Urse stressed the CoE had done its utmost to support Georgia’s integration into the European space. 

I am happy that the Patriarch also supports the idea that Georgia should be part of European organisations,” Urse said. 

The CoE official stressed he was from Romania and could "very well understand” the role of the church in a country’s daily life. 

On this note he said the CoE respected fundamental human rights. 

The Georgian Patriarch underscored Georgian and Romanian churches enjoyed very close ties and this year he had been invited by the Romanian Patriarch to attend events dedicated to the Georgian  Saint Anthim the Iberian. 

Cristian Urse stressed the CoE had done its utmost to support Georgia’s integration into the European space.

Romania marks the 300th anniversary of the Saint and we are preparing to attend the event in Romania,” his holiness declared. 

Anthim the Iberian was a Georgian theologian, scholar, calligrapher, philosopher and one of the greatest ecclesiastic figures of Wallachia (Romanian region), founder of the first printing press in Romania and Metropolitan of Bucharest from 1708 to 1715.