Acting Assistant Secretary Reeker met with His Holiness Ilia II to discuss the close collaboration between the United States and Georgia in preserving Georgia’s unique cultural and religious heritage and our strategic partnership overall.

“In particular, His Holiness Ilia II and Acting Assistant Secretary Reeker discussed ongoing efforts to preserve and protect Georgia’s iconic Jvari Monastery – an invaluable, millennium-and-a-half old testament to Georgia’s history, culture, and faith. Reeker also went to Jvari to inspect the progress and met with partners from the Chubinashvili Center who are implementing the USD 600,000 project to preserve the monastery’s façade and other features in line with international best practice.

The United States is preserving the church through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. The United States has funded approximately 21 projects worth nearly USD 2 million to restore, preserve, and protect Georgia’s unique cultural heritage over the last 20 years. Approximately USD 1 million of these projects have been devoted to preserving and protecting unique religious sites. These efforts stem from the strong partnership between Georgia and the United States and help build stronger ties of understanding between our two countries. Ambassador Degnan and Ambassador Adam Sterling, the Foreign Policy Advisor for the U.S. European Command participated in the meeting as well”, - reads the statement of the Embassy.