Today, on the 11^th of April at the Administration of the Government of Georgia the chairman of the State Agency for Religious Issues Zaza Vashakmadze met with the Turkish religious leader of Shia Sheikh Selahattin Ozgunduz, Imam of the city of Duseldorf, Germany and the chairman of the European Union of the Learned Muslims Muhamed Mujahid. The meeting was attended by the Sheikh of the Administration of Muslims of all Georgia Ramin Igidov and Iasin Aliev the Mufti for Eastern Georgia.

Zaza Vashakmadze introduced the guests the projects implemented for the promotion and development of religion by the state, in particular, the mechanism of financing religious organizations and explained that it served as a compensation for moral and material damage caused during the totalitarian regime. The chairman of the agency also talked about interreligious council which ensured a dialogue between religions and between the religions and the state. Georgia has a unique model of Islam, where Muslim community is ethnically diverse and where Sunni and Shia Muslims live harmoniously. Zaza Vashakmadze spoke about Georgian historical traditions, including religious traditions and briefed the Georgian part of reality to the guests where in one of the historical districts of Tbilisi for centuries there were side by side Orthodox Church, Jewish synagogue and Islamic mosque. This is an achievement of the Georgian state and serves as a role model in the background of religious conflicts and confrontations of the world. The Muslim community in Georgia is the second confession in number. It receives appropriate funding from the state and the process of transferring the mosques is being continued also – today 160 mosques have been transferred to the Muslim community – said Zaza Vashakmadze.

Sheikh Selahattin Ozgunduz in the name of Shia Muslims comprising about one-third of the total population of Turkey, thanked the chairman of the agency for hospitality. Georgian state and in particular the State Agency for Religious Issues plays an important role in the integration process of the Muslim community and in terms of the attitude towards religions Georgia is an exemplary country. Imam of Duseldorf and the chairman of the European Union of the Learned Muslims Muhamed Mujahid emphasized that in terms of relationship with the religions European countries should take an example from Georgia. He wished the State Agency for Religious Issues to participate in the conference about the freedom of religion planned by his organization.

In the end, the chairman of the agency thanked the guests for open and warm dialogue and once again stressed the importance of our peoples’ positive experience accumulated for centuries that should be continued and enriched.