EU assured Georgian Patriarch that they would not demand abandonment of traditional values

During their meetings with the Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II representatives of the European Union assured him that they would not make abandonment of traditional values conditional for Georgia’s integration into the EU, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported, citing a statement by the Patriarchate of Georgia.

Earlier, in a letter to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the European Commission warned that the country risks losing its visa-free regime with the EU if eight recommendations are not implemented, including the repeal of the law banning LGBT propaganda, adopted last year. Tbilisi has until the end of August to implement these recommendations. The Georgian authorities say that they will not  repeal the adopted laws, and dismissed the European Commission’s letter as just another form of blackmail.

“At meetings with the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II (recordings of which exist), it was clearly stated that the will of the Georgian people is to protect Christian and traditional family values. It was also said that on the country’s path to joining European structures there will be no categorical demands and obligations that contradict our traditions,” the statement said.

According to the Patriarchate, EU representatives and diplomats have always said that the process of EU integration does not necessarily imply propaganda of non-traditional relations. Therefore, the EU recommendations to repeal the law banning the propaganda of LGBT cause “serious concern.” The Patriarch of Georgia has also repeatedly noted that European integration is possible, provided that things like propaganda of non-traditional relations are not imposed on the country.

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