On November 24, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze led a high-level Georgian Dream delegation to Vatican City for an audience with Pope Leo XIV—Kobakhidze’s first official visit to the Holy See since taking office. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, Culture Minister Tinatin Rukhadze, Government Administration head Levan Zhorzholiani, and Georgia’s Ambassador to the Holy See, David Mekvabishvili. The visit follows a similar trip made in May by President Mikheil Kavelashvili, who also met the newly elected pontiff earlier this year.

According to the Georgian government’s statement, Kobakhidze described the meeting as productive and wide-ranging. He stressed that the Vatican’s backing of Georgia—particularly regarding sovereignty and territorial integrity—remains "highly significant". He noted that the conversation also touched on developments inside Georgia and the broader global context, including what he called contemporary challenges to Christian values. Kobakhidze said that he and the Pope exchanged views on the pressures facing Georgia as it seeks to safeguard its religious and cultural traditions.

During the talks, Kobakhidze extended an official invitation for Pope Leo XIV to visit Georgia. Speaking afterward, he highlighted that 2026 will mark 1,700 years since Georgia adopted Christianity, saying such a commemorative year would make a papal visit especially meaningful. The prime minister also held a separate meeting with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The government administration later stated that both sides emphasized the longstanding "friendly relations" between Georgia and the Holy See and expressed confidence that cooperation will continue to deepen. Beyond the diplomatic exchanges, the Georgian delegation attended a performance by the State Chamber Choir of Georgia at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, featuring pieces including Patriarch Ilia II’s Ave Maria. The event was part of the Vatican’s once-every-25-years Jubilee celebrations.