An Azerbaijani delegation led by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly), Sahiba Gafarova, visited Georgia to participate in the funeral ceremony of His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. The high-level delegation expressed the deep condolences and respect of the people of Azerbaijan to the Georgian nation during the ceremony held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.
According to information provided by the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the event was attended by various international dignitaries, including the Ecumenical Patriarch. Georgian officials, including the President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Honorary Chairman of Georgian Dream, addressed those gathered at the cathedral. The Azerbaijani delegation also included the Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office, Allahshukur Pashazade, Deputy Prime Minister Samir Sharifov, and a group of members of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly).
The funeral procession began at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, with the Patriarch's remains being transported with special honors toward the Sioni Cathedral for burial. Funeral bells tolled across all churches in Georgia as hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets to pay their final respects to the spiritual leader. Ilia II, who served as the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977, was a pivotal figure in Georgia's modern history, overseeing a significant religious revival following the collapse of the Soviet Union and maintaining close ties with neighboring Azerbaijan.
