“We should not forget that among the founding fathers of this university there was the famous chemist and member of the Academies of the Sciences in different countries, Prof. Petre Melikishvili, a Georgian Catholic, who was elected as the first Rector of this University. He is one of the many witnesses to the role played by Georgian Catholics in the history of this country,” Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See (Vatican Foreign Minister), said during his visit to Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on October 23. He gave a conference on diplomacy of the Holy See and peace in the Caucuses region. Vice Rector of TSU, Alexander Tsiskaridze, Holy See’s Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia Msgr. Jose Bettencourt, foreign diplomats accredited in Georgia, representatives of executive and legislative authorities, various religions, the Council of Religions, the Patriarchate, academia and students attended the conference.
In his speech at the conference titled “The diplomacy of the Holy See and its commitment to the peace and dignity of the human person, with particular attention to the Caucasus region”, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher focused on Vatican’s international relations, noting that “diplomacy must rediscover its role as a bearer of solidarity between persons and societies as an alternative to weapons, violence and terror.” He also spoke about the 2008 war, saying that the repeated Resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, dedicated to the issue of displaced persons and refugees, have not been fully applied. “As far as Georgia is concerned, the Holy See has always maintained its position regarding respect for international law with reference to the territory and the borders of the country,” he added.
During the conference the Vatican Foreign Minister answered students’ questions about human rights, emigration policy, trafficking, forced marriage and the role of religion in settlement of ethnic conflicts.
Vice Rector Alexander Tsiskaridze welcomed the Vatican Foreign Minister’s visit as the major development in the university life. “Vatican plays a huge role in the world’s cultural, humanitarian and, to some extent, political life. Therefore, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher’s visit to Georgia is a sign of political support. The meeting was very interesting. The lecture given by the Archbishop practically involved all aspects, including human rights. A series of meetings dedicated to the 100th anniversary of TSU, is continuing and it is important that we are hosting very interesting guests who are leaving a huge trace in the university life,” the Vice Rector said.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher said that the main reason for his visit to Tbilisi was the cooperation between Georgia and Vatican.
“We can further enhance our relations; therefore, we should work on it. We should exchange information, opinions,” he said.
“The world of today faces different types of conflicts between peoples, groups, cultures. We want to encourage dialogue,” Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher said adding that “our support will further continue.”
