President requests blessings from patriarch to launch ‘national reconciliation’ process

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili met with Patriarch Ilia II to brief him on her new initiative to help Georgian political parties make peace ‘which will serve the state interests’, and decrease political polarization. 

Zurabishvili also requested the patriarch’s blessing for the initiative. 

The Georgian Patriarchate stated in the wake of the meeting that the church will ‘always support the initiatives’ which will help reconciliation and peace and be based on the principles of Christianity and justice.’ 

Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, said that ‘national reconciliation is in everyone’s interests,’ while opposition leaders called on the president earlier this month to help the process. 

The ruling party says that the reconciliation is not possible if the United National Movement party stays in politics.