ETCHMIADZIN. – Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on Wednesday hosted, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, a delegation led by the chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, who is on an official visit to Armenia.
The Catholicos highlighted the expanding cooperation between the two countries, noting it in line with the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples, the Information Services of the Mother See informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. Karekin II noted that the Armenian and Georgian peoples have overcome many difficulties together to preserve their national identity and spiritual values.
Touching upon the challenges facing the Armenian and Georgian peoples and the difficult situation in the region, the Catholicos of All Armenians stressed that the two countries need to support each other for the welfare and security of the two brotherly peoples who share the same faith—and regardless of their interests and positions.
Karekin II expressed his gratitude to the Georgian authorities for their caring attitude towards the Georgian Armenian community, as well as for their mediation efforts for the return of prisoners of war and to establish stability and peace in the region.
Also, the Catholicos of All Armenians expressed his concern over the policy of destruction and misappropriation of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in the territories now under the control of Azerbaijan, as well as the ongoing encroachments on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia.
In his turn, speaker Shalva Papuashvili of the Georgian parliament also reflected on the situation in the region, and said that there is no alternative to peace and that the latter is the most important guarantee for the development of the two countries.
In addition, Papuashvili spoke with satisfaction about the positive results of his visit to Armenia, the cooperation between the two countries, and the prospects for its development. The head of the Georgian legislature also highlighted the closer relations between the two peoples.
