Late Patriarch Ilia II’s role in modern Georgia ‘truly epochal’, PM Kobakhidze

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has described the contribution of late Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II to modern Georgia as “truly epochal,” while linking the country’s European aspirations to its “Christian heritage and values.”

Speaking at the international conference Foundations of European Civilization and 1,700 Years of Christianity in Georgia, Kobakhidze said Ilia II had helped preserve and strengthen the nation’s spiritual unity and created a link between Georgia’s centuries-old heritage and its restored statehood.

“His leadership, guided by love and wisdom, contributed to the deep establishment of Christian values in the foundations of the newly restored independent state,” Kobakhidze said.

The PM also said Europe was facing serious political, ideological, demographic and values-based challenges, arguing that European civilization had developed around Christian morality, human dignity and the principle of freedom.

“Georgia’s path towards the common European family is based precisely on those true values that created this great civilization,” Kobakhidze said, adding that Georgia would continue to preserve its traditions, spiritual identity and historical heritage.

He thanked the conference organisers, the Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy and international participants for attending the event in Tbilisi, saying the discussions could contribute to strengthening a shared European future and spiritual values.

The conference is part of events marking the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia. A broader programme of cultural, educational and scientific events is being held throughout 2026 to mark the anniversary.