A delegation from the State Agency for Religious Issuess met with Daniel S. Mariaschin, the CEO of the organization "B'nai B'rith International" in Washington.

The Chairman of the Agency, Zaza Vashakmadze, briefly introduced Daniel Mariaschin to the main aspects of the religious policy of the Georgian State, spoke about the 26-century tradition of Georgian-Jewish relations, the financial assistance provided by the State to religious organizations, including the increase in annual financial assistance allocated from the state budget from 150,000 GEL to 550,000 GEL as a symbolic and partial compensation for the damage caused to the Jewish community during the Soviet period. The Chairman of the Agency also noted that all synagogues (22 synagogues in total) confiscated by the Soviet totalitarian regime had been returned to the Jewish community. According to him, the maintenance of Jewish cemeteries is a clear example of the unique relationship established between the two nations.

Zaza Vashakmadze spoke about the current situation in the occupied territories of Georgia and noted that fundamental human rights, including freedom of life, movement, education, and religion were being violated in A/R of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. The remaining churches and monasteries in the occupied territories were being destroyed or, under the pretext of restoration, the Georgian traces were being erased. Only Georgian Orthodox clergy could not move to A/R of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region to conduct church services, although, representatives of other religions enjoyed this right. In this context, the Chairman of the Agency emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership with the United States.

Daniel Mariaschin thanked the guest for sharing the information and expressed his own opinions on these issues. The conversation also touched on the Israeli-Palestinian war. Daniel Mariaschin specifically noted that he had special ties to Georgia, as his great-grandfather was a rabbi who served in the Tskhinvali synagogue (which was destroyed as a result of the occupation) and was buried in Tskhinvali.

At the end of the meeting, Zaza Vashakmadze presented the host with the Agency’s publication “Religious Repressions in Soviet Georgia”, a book published by the Davit Baazov Museum of Georgian-Jewish Friendship and the Psalms of King David published in Georgian and Hebrew.

The meeting was attended by Sandro Inashvili, Counselor to the Acting Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the US, David Davitashvili, Head of the Legal Maintenance Office of the Agency and Aleksandre Shekiladze, Chief Specialist of the Legal Maintenance Office.