The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili attended a festal church service in Sameba Cathedral today. The Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia and Patriarch Teodore II, Eastern Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa visiting Tbilisi, held a joint festal service connected with the event of bringing to Georgia saint parts of one of the 12 apostles, St Matthew.

His Holiness and Beatitude, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia, Ilia II awarded Theodor II with the highest order of the Georgian church, gold order of St George - for strengthening brotherly relations between Alexandrian and Georgian Patriarchies.

Theodore II presented Ilia II a coined chalice made in Egypt.

Theodore II expressed his gratitude for the invitation and noted: "I am going back to Egypt happy, because I saw your country on its way of development. This visit is a great mercy for me, as soon as I arrive in Egypt I will lit a candle in St George's church and pray for Georgia."

The President of Georgia addressed Theodore II:

"You and us are spiritually tied, your visit, as well as frequent visits of many high hierarchy church leaders, speak of our Patriarchs great authority and his weight in the Christian world. I want you to know that we all are Ilia II spiritual children and he has been leading Georgia for a long time on its way to advancement and now on its way to integration. What our Patriarch said about Georgia's integrity, invincibility and victory, precisely depicts the ideology, spirituality and mood of Georgia today", said the President.

Later Mikheil Saakashvili met the Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia Ilia II and Patriarch Theodore II, Eastern Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa in his chancellery and received gifts from them.

Theodore II gave Mikheil Saakashvili the award of Markus Evangelist and Ilia II presented the President the Virgin's Icon. They spoke about the role of the church in the revival of the country.

"I consider the relations between the Orthodox church and Orthodox countries a very important aspect which we must make stronger. We still have much to do, to form the basis of our better relations, cooperation and contacts between the society members", noted the President of Georgia.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia