Patriarch Shio receives U.S. State Department representatives

Patriarch Shio III received representatives of the U.S. Department of State at the Patriarchal Residence. Photo: Romfea.gr

On May 27, 2024, Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III held a meeting with a delegation from the U.S. Department of State at the Patriarchal Residence. This was reported by the UOJ in Georgia.

The foreign delegation included U.S. foreign-policy officials Charles Yockey and Peter Andreoli, as well as Acting U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Alan Purcell. The participants discussed the current state of Georgian-American relations and emphasized the importance of religious institutions for regional stability.

The American diplomats congratulated His Holiness on his enthronement and noted the exceptional role of the Orthodox Church in Georgia’s history and public life. The parties expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation in order to strengthen spiritual heritage and defend fundamental values. During the conversation, Patriarch Shio III invited the representatives of Washington to take part in celebrations marking the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as Georgia’s state religion.

Metropolitans Grigory, Gerasim, and Andrey also took part in the official reception, along with the Patriarch’s secretary, Archpriest Georgy Zviadadze, and the head of the public relations service, Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze.

At the end of the meeting, the guests thanked His Holiness for the warm reception and constructive dialogue.

As the UOJ reported, the enthronement of Georgia’s new Patriarch Shio III took place in Georgia. After the election of the new primate, the Church’s diplomatic channel with foreign partners became one of the elements of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s public presence on the international agenda.

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