Georgian PM praises church for defending national interests

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze praised the Georgian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Ilia II for consistently defending national interests while pledging strict opposition to foreign-funded efforts to undermine state sovereignty and impose “false values.”

Speaking during his annual parliamentary address, Kobakhidze expressed gratitude to the church for its historical role in protecting Georgian interests.

“I want to express gratitude to our Mother Church, the Orthodox Church, which throughout all this time, over the years and centuries, stands guard over our country’s national interests. Great thanks to our Mother Church and to His Holiness and Beatitude, Ilia II, for this,” he said.

The prime minister warned against what he characterised as ongoing foreign interference in Georgian affairs.

“We will not allow arbitrariness against the state, we will oppose any attempt to belittle state institutions, our Mother Church. We will very strictly oppose absolutely all attempts to violate state sovereignty, to confuse the state’s identity, and to impose false values,” Kobakhidze declared.