December 26, 2010
On 25 December 2010, a festive reception to celebrate Christmas and the upcoming New Year took place at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Moscow. Invited to the reception sponsored by the Assembly of Georgian Peoples were the well-known politicians, representatives of religious organizations, workers of culture and art, diplomats, and journalists from Russia and Georgia. Some public persons were awarded by the Assembly for their contribution to the development of Russian-Georgian relations. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, and Metropolitan Gerasim of Zugdidi and Tsaish, head of the Foreign Department of the Georgian Church, were awarded in the nomination “For contribution in the development of Russian-Georgian relations in religious sphere.”
Rev. Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations, received the award on behalf of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
