On October 14, 2016, the Georgian Orthodox Church marked the Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba festival.

At the invitation of the Mayor of Mtskheta, the spiritual centre of Georgia, delegation of Etchmiadzin City Hall, Republic of Armenia, led by the Mayor of Etchmiadzin, Karen Grigoryan, took an official visit to Georgia on the occasion of the festival.

The Mayor of Mtskheta, Avtandil Nemsitsveridze hosted the delegation from the spiritual center of Armenia. During a conversation, the Mayors of sister cities discussed ways to deepen relationships and prospects of cooperation between spiritual centers of two nations.

The delegation of Etchmiadzin City Hall attended the Divine Liturgy in Jvari Monastery. The guest also visited newly constructed cultural centre, toured the handiwork exposition presented there, and joined the celebrations for the Mtskhetoba-Svetitshovloba festival in the centre of the city.

The Mayor of Etchmiadzin, Karen Grigoryan, accompanied by the member of the Council of Elders Aramais Mirzoyan and responsible for the External Relations Department Sona Matevosyan, visited the Saint Etchmiadzin Church in Avlabari. A meeting with Very Rev. Father Khoren Hovhannisyan, assistant to the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, was held. The guests lit candles in the ancient Armenian Church.

The guests from Etchmiadzin met with David Chichinade, MP Candidate of Georgian Dream in Isani district, who got a free pass to the second tour of Georgia’s parliamentary election. During their discussion, reference was made to issues related to cooperation and reciprocal cultural visits between the spiritual centre of Georgia and the Armenian inhabited district of Tbilisi if elected to office.