Ex-Speaker of parliament: Georgia should in no way recognize OCU

Head of the political "Democratic Movement" party, ex-Speaker of the parliament Nino Burjanadze

The ex-Speaker of the parliament stressed that Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia approaches the “Ukrainian issue” with great caution and will only take decisions that are aimed at peace, she said in an interview with RIA "Novosti".

“Definitely not. And I made this statement as soon as the Tomos was voiced by Constantinople and even, in my opinion, before that. I said that in no way,” the politician stressed.

She noted that what is happening between Constantinople and Kiev is “not at all a religious issue, it is an absolutely political issue, and this desire to turn away Kiev and Ukraine from Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church as much as possible.”

In addition, she recalled that in its time the ROC did not recognize the independence of the churches of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the Georgian Church.

“I am absolutely sure that the Georgian Church should not and will not do this. I will tell you frankly that before leaving for Russia, I met with our Patriarch, who always takes a very moderate position, a position of rapprochement with Russia, a position of improving relations. And I saw that he is very cautious about this problem and he will take only those decisions that are aimed at peace, good neighborliness, good cooperation between Georgia and Russia, Russia and Ukraine, Georgia and Ukraine,” Nino Burjanadze said.

We recall that in January 2019, the delegation of the Constantinople Patriarchate met with Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia and members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church, but this meeting did not change the stance of the Georgian Church regarding the recognition of the OCU. According to Patriarchal locum tenens, Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, the Ukrainian issue will be discussed by the Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the spring. Until the next meeting of the Synod, the Patriarchate of Georgia will not take any decisions.

On December 27, 2018, the Synod of the Georgian Church postponed the discussion of the church situation in Ukraine to the next meeting.

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