At the extended meeting of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Shio (Mudjiri) was elected as the new - 142nd Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia. Metropolitan Shio's candidacy was supported by 22 clergymen (archbishops). He won against his rivals Metropolitan Job of Ruis-Urbnisi and Metropolitan Grigol of Poti and Khobi.
Modern.az tried to learn the position of the Caucasian Muslims Office (CMO) regarding Shio's election as patriarch.
Bakhtiyar Najafov, press secretary of the CMO, stated that today or tomorrow Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade will convey his congratulations to the new patriarch:
"Georgian-Azerbaijani friendship and neighborhood are magnificent. The Patriarchate and the Caucasian Muslims Office have many years of extensive friendly relations. There were fraternal and friendly relations between Ilia II and His Holiness the Sheikh. Both are great figures and personalities in the region. Now that Metropolitan Shio (Mudjiri) has been deemed worthy and elected, naturally the Caucasian Muslims Office will congratulate him. His Holiness the Sheikh will probably address his congratulations today or tomorrow."
