Zaza Vashakmadze, the chairman of the State Agency for Religious Issues, met with the Professor Ali Erbas, the chairman of the Directorate of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.

Ali Erbas noted that the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) was established together with the Republic of Turkey, therefore this year marked the 100^th anniversary of the establishment of the Directorate. Erbas emphasized the progress of Diyanet in the field of education and pointed out that they founded a religious academy last year. The host, in case of interest from the Georgian side, expressed his readiness to start cooperation with Georgia on issues of Islamic religious education.

The chairman of the Agency spoke about the achievements in the field of religion and the directions of the development of the religious policy of Georgia. He emphasized the phenomenon of Georgian Islam and the state's support for the independence and development of the Muslim community of Georgia. Zaza Vashakmadze also spoke about the issues of protecting the rights of religious minorities, including Muslims, on increasing financial support and on issues of unhindered access to religious buildings.

At the end of the conversation, the host recalled his visit to Georgia in 2012, however, not as the  chairman of Diyanet, and expressed his desire to come to Georgia again. The chairman of the Agency expressed his readiness to host the Turkish counterpart.

The parties, in the footsteps of Georgian-Turkish good neighborliness, strategic partnership and cooperation at the level of the high officials, set the perspective of deepening cooperation in the field of religion.

The meeting was attended by Giorgi Janjghava, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Turkey, and Davit Davitashvili, Head of the Legal Maintenance office of the Agency.