Patriarchate of Georgia Hosts Joint Commission Meeting on Forest Management

The Joint Commission on Forest Management Issues held a meeting at the Patriarchate of Georgia, which was attended by Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne.

 

Notably, the commission was established within the framework of the cooperation between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

 
During the meeting, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture,  Mr. David Songulashvili, discussed issues related to the cooperation on the protection and management of forest areas surrounding churches and monasteries.


“The Joint Commission discussed important matters related to forest management. All key and pressing issues were identified, and a clear action plan was outlined, specifying timelines, responsible parties, and targets for next steps to jointly manage our country’s unique resource—our forests,” stated Mr. David Songulashvili.

 

Participants also discussed prospects for cooperation aimed at protecting forest ecosystems and promoting sustainable forest management.

 

As mentioned, the cooperation between the Ministry and the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church plays an important role in the protection and stewardship of forest resources located in the areas surrounding churches and monasteries.

 

“We would once again emphasize the significance of this cooperation, as forests represent a strategic resource and a national value for us. Historically, many churches and monasteries have been located within the forested areas.

 

Today, the process of restoring monastic life is underway, and naturally this places a great responsibility upon us to ensure that the environment in which our ancestors established sacred sites remains a place of prayer and sanctity, and that these sacred spaces are properly protected in accordance with both state and ecclesiastical requirements of the present day,” said the Metropolitan Andrew (Andria Gvazava) of Gori and Ateni.

 

The Joint Forest Management Commission operates within the framework of cooperation between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church, aiming  to promote responsible and sustainable management of forest resources.

 

The First Deputy Minister, Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili, Deputy Minister, Mr. Giorgi Tskrialashvili, and the Heads of relevant Agencies within the Ministry system attended the meeting.