Gov’t-church relations ‘fundamentally changed’ since ex-Pres Saakashvili era, Georgian PM

Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday claimed  relations between the government and the church in Georgia were now “fundamentally different” compared with the period of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Speaking to journalists in Yerevan, Kobakhidze said that under the previous government there had been what he described as a sustained campaign against the church, lasting for several years.

He alleged that efforts had been made to discredit religious institutions through various means, including public criticism and other forms of pressure.

Kobakhidze said the current government’s approach was based on principles, including secularism, and emphasised that relations between the state and the church were now guided by a different framework.