Georgia's Patriarch Ilia II (left), and Israel's Ambassador Yuval Fuchs (right) met at Mtskheta Thursday. (IPN.)

TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Patriarch Ilia II hosted Israeli Ambassador Yuval Fuchs and his wife at the Patriarch’s residence in Mtskheta, close to the capital.

Fuchs thanked Illia II for his merits in deepening relations between the two states in regards to people’s diplomacy.

At the meeting, the Georgian Patriarch remarked that the relationship between Georgian and Jewish people is tied by friendly coexistence of thousands of years and this relation contributes to relations between the states.

The Georgian people has always supported the Israeli state and it will continue to do so in the future, he told the Ambassador.

The Patriarch congratulated the guests with te upcoming Hanukkah and symbolically gave nine candles.