His Holiness Karekin II Receives Mikael Saakashvili, President of the Republic of Georgia
15.03.2004
In the morning of March 13, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received Mikael Saakashvili, the new President of the Republic of Georgia, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Mr. Saakashvili is in Armenia on his first visit since his election.
Welcoming the President's visit to the worldwide spiritual center of the Armenian Church, the Pontiff of All Armenians congratulated President Saakashvili on his recent election victory, and offered a prayer asking for God's support to help the new president bring his services to the Georgian nation. His Holiness further expressed hope that the Georgian people and state will live peaceful and prosperous lives, noting that Armenia and her neighbor to the north are closely linked and interrelated to one another.
His Holiness and President Saakashvili also spoke about the fraternal relations which exist between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church. In addition, they discussed issues existing in the Armenian Diocese of Georgia and concerns related to Georgian Armenians.
The President of Georgia thanked the Catholicos of All Armenians for the warm reception and conveyed the brotherly greetings and kind wishes of His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. Mr. Saakashvili touched on some of the problems facing the two republics and expressed his hope that due to the centuries-old friendship and cooperation among the neighbor states, it will be possible to provide solutions that will lead to prosperity for both the Armenian and the Georgian nations.
"I have a feeling of deep respect towards Your Holiness and the Armenian Church, and as the President of the Republic of Georgia, I will make every effort to foster and develop the relations existing between our two brother nations and Churches," noted the President in his remarks.
At the conclusion of the meeting the President visited the museum inside the Pontifical Residence and lit a candle in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia; Very Rev. Fr. Arshak Khachatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See; Mr. Vartan Oskanian, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Mr. Georgi Khosroyev, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Georgia; Mr. Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, President Saakashvili?s Representative in the Region of Javakhk; and members of the Governments of Armenia and Georgia attending the meeting.
