The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, had a meeting with Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia, this morning, at the Patriarchate in Tbilisi.
At the meeting, President Anastasiades, after conveying the heartfelt greetings of Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus to the Patriarch, said that he is familiar with the excellent relations between the Churches of Cyprus and Georgia.
He added that the Georgian Monastery of Panagia Chrysogialiotissa, founded in the 10th century, near the village of Gialia in Paphos, constitutes an important point of reference for friendship and cooperation between the two peoples.
The President also expressed his conviction that the granting of a piece of land to the Patriarchate of Georgia by the State and the Church of Cyprus would speed up the process for the erection of the Orthodox monastery complex in the place of the destroyed Monastery of Panagia Chrysogialiotissa.
For his part, the Patriarch thanked the President and the Republic of Cyprus for their support to Georgia, for granting land for the construction of a new monastic complex in Paphos, as well as for the support to the Georgian community living in Cyprus. He also pointed out that the Monastery will be erected as soon as possible and will be called the Gialia Monastery. Moreover, the President of the Republic informed the Patriarch of Georgia about the current situation on the Cyprus issue.
Finally, the President of the Republic and the Patriarch exchanged mementos. The President of the Republic gave the Patriarch a silver amphora copy while the Patriarch donated to the President of the Republic a painting depicting the Universe and the Holy Spirit.