Military servicemen’s present to the Patriarch
Thursday, November 7
The officers of the Georgian Armed Forces visited Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia, Ilia II at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Defense Minister of Georgia Irakli Alasania, Chief of Joint Staff of GAF, Colonel Irakli Dzneladze and Deputy Defense Minister Mikheil Darchiashvili accompanied the Georgian military as well.
Commander of the III Infantry Brigade of GAF, LTC Malkhaz Merlani and Deputy Commander of Training and Military Education Command, Colonel Alexander Kiknadze handed His Holiness and Beatitude a symbolic present – the Georgian State Flag on behalf of the Georgian contingent participating in ISAF mission. The flag had been flown on the Georgian military base in Helmand province while performing the mission.
The officers presented the Georgian State Flag to Prime-Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili as well.
LTC Malkhaz Merlani had been in Afghanistan together with the military servicemen of the 33rd Battalion of III Infantry Brigade and returned to Georgia with them. Colonel Alexander Kiknadze served as a Supreme Military Representative of Georgian Contingent in Afghanistan from August, 2012 till October, 2013.
