US Chargé d’Affaires: we highly value Georgian Orthodox Church’s role in protecting country, national identity, freedom

Alan Purcell, the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Tbilisi, on Wednesday said that the United States greatly valued the role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in safeguarding the country, the identity of the Georgian people, and their freedom.

“It is a great honour for me to meet and speak with each of you. The friendship between Georgia and the United States truly has a long history. I know that many ambassadors, chargés d’affaires and embassy representatives have met and cooperated with you over the years, and we deeply appreciate that”, he noted.

“We highly value the Georgian Church’s role in protecting the country, the identity of the Georgian people, and their freedom. Please convey my warmest greetings and respect to His Holiness, the Patriarch of Georgia”, Purcell added.

Alan Purcell on Wednesday held an audience with Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) and other hierarchs and clergy at the Patriarchate.