On April 20, Zaza Vashakmadze, Chairman of the State Agency for Religious Issues, met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Georgia, Faig Guliyev, at the Administration of the Government of Georgia.

Zaza Vashakmadze congratulated the guest on his appointment, wished him success in his work and expressed hope that the cooperation with the new Ambassador will be successful and will further strengthen the friendship between the two countries.

At the meeting, the Chairman of the Agency informed the Ambassador about the State Agency for Religious Issues, religious policy in Georgia and the activities carried out by the state in this direction in recent years. Zaza Vashakmadze spoke about the funding of religious organizations, the transfer of religious buildings, trainings conducted within the framework of the Governmental Human Rights Action Plan, the formation of an inter-religious council, the current situation and current challenges in the field of freedom of religion.

The Chairman of the Agency also focused on the phenomenon of Georgian Islam and its different nature, which is perceived as a positive experience of peaceful coexistence of Shiites and Sunnis, and an example of Georgian tolerance is the religious houses of worship of different confessions gathered in the Meidani. Also, freedom of religion in Georgia means that religious organizations themselves choose the desired form and status of registration. The largest organization in terms of ethnicity and religion is the Administration of All Muslims of Georgia.

The Ambassador of Azerbaijan noted that Georgia is a native country for him. He was the Deputy Chairman of the Diaspora for years, and then returned to Georgia as an ambassador. From now on, he has a big role as an ambassador and will do everything to stimulate relations between the two countries. The attitude of the Georgian side towards Azerbaijan was well shown during the Karabakh war.

During the meeting, the sides discussed issues on the agenda between the two countries and prospects for future cooperation. Faig Guliyev took the initiative to sign a memorandum of cooperation. He thanked the Agency for its reception and expressed readiness to do its utmost to further strengthen the existing cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan and invited the Agency to Baku on an official visit.