Patriarch Shio III of Georgia received the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Georgia, Gareth Ward, at the Patriarchate of Georgia on June 11.
The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Gerasime of Zugdidi and Tsaishi, Chairman of the Patriarchate’s Department for External Relations, Archpriest Mikheil Botkoveli, Secretary to the Catholicos-Patriarch, Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze, Rector of the Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, Head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Office, and representatives of the same department.
Welcoming the Ambassador, the Patriarch expressed his gratitude for the visit and highlighted Ward’s fluency in the Georgian language, describing it as a sign of respect and appreciation for Georgia and its culture.
During the meeting, Shio III spoke about the importance of family, moral, and spiritual values, as well as issues related to the education and upbringing of young people. He praised the Ambassador’s interest in youth and education and welcomed the initiatives undertaken by the United Kingdom in these fields for the benefit of Georgian citizens.
For his part, Ambassador Ward thanked the Patriarch for the warm reception and noted the significant role played by the Georgian Orthodox Church in the life of the country. He also expressed condolences over the passing of the late Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and recalled his immense authority and contribution to Georgian society.
The Ambassador conveyed congratulations from King Charles III and the head of the Anglican Church on the enthronement of Shio III as the Patriarch of Georgia.
The discussion also focused on current global developments and the challenges facing the modern world. Both sides emphasized the importance of preserving Christian values, which have played a key role in shaping European civilization. The Patriarch stressed the Church’s mission in strengthening spiritual and moral responsibility, particularly among younger generations.
Speaking about education, Shio III referred to the recently introduced “Values Education” program in Georgia’s public schools, implemented through cooperation between the state and the Church. He noted that the initiative draws partly on British educational experience and aims to promote moral and civic formation among students.
The restoration works at the Gelati Monastic Complex were also discussed. The Catholicos-Patriarch thanked the United Kingdom for the support offered through the participation of British scholars and specialists in the project, while Ambassador Ward reaffirmed his country’s readiness to continue cooperation in the field of cultural heritage preservation.
Shio III also noted that Georgia is marking the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity’s proclamation as the state religion and referred to the events planned to commemorate the milestone.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of commemorative gifts.
Photos: Nino Sozashvili
