Today the chairman of the State Agency for Religious Issues Zaza Vashakmadze met with Ayatollah Mohsem Mushtaid Shabistan at the Administration of the Government of Georgia. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Georgia H.E Seyed Javad Ghavam Shahidi, Sheikh of All Georgia – Ramin Igidov and Mufti of Eastern Georgia Yasin Aliev.

At the meeting the chairman of the agency introduced the guest the current processes in our country in terms of freedom of religion, in particular the agency’s activities in this regard; the projects fulfilled by the state in order to promote and develop religion, namely, the mechanism of financing religious organizations and transferring of religious buildings; cooperation of religious organizations in the format of the interreligious council which provides a dialogue among religions as well as between the religions and the state. Moreover, the chairman noted about a unique model of Islam in Georgia - the Muslim community was ethnically diverse, where there was a harmonious coexistence between Sunni and Shia Muslims which was the achievement of the state of Georgia on the background of the world religious confrontations and conflicts.

Ayatollah Mohsem Mushtaid Shabistan thanked Zaza Vashakmadze for a meeting and interesting information provided. According to him the attitude of the state towards the religions was important   as the state support of religions ensured the establishment of peace and the state policy was exemplary in this regard. The guest also focused on bilateral relations between Georgia and Iran in the spheres of tourism and economics. He emphasized that Iran condemned the acts of terrorism and extremism on religious grounds in the Middle East and Europe. According to him proper religious education in Iran was a priority and he welcomed the fact that Georgia was a unique country in this regard.

At the end of the meeting Ayatollah invited the chairman of the State Agency for Religious Issues to Iran for an official visit.