Ethnophyletism will not work!

Abkhazia and South Ossetia are the canonical territory of the Georgian Church, said Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

“It is absolutely obvious that the canonical jurisdiction of the Georgian Patriarchate exists on the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the patriarch told reporters following negotiations with Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra in the Ukrainian capital.

On the other hand, he continued, at the moment there is "a certain canonical disorder."

“This applies to one place and another, especially recent events in Abkhazia have shown that this canonical disorder is damaging to the spiritual life of people,” the primate emphasized.

According to him, “having discussed the situation in an open, fraternal atmosphere,” he and Ilia II agreed to continue the conversation “in order to reach in the future, by the grace of God, some decisions that would help the two Churches in close cooperation to promote the pacification of the life of the Orthodox people in these places, the establishment of canonical order and, most importantly, to prevent any schismatic actions that are detrimental to the salvation of people’s souls.”

According to the patriarch, issues of inter-Orthodox relations were also discussed, “on which the views also coincided.”
“I thank God that we can now speak with one mind on many issues,” added Patriarch Kirill.

In turn, Ilia II thanked the patriarch for the invitation to Kyiv.
"This is my first time in this holy city. Both the city, the country, and the people make an indelible impression. Our negotiations were in the spirit of brotherhood, and the issues that face us - the issue of Abkhazia, the Tskhinvali region - indicate that we need take these issues seriously," he said.

Ilia II thanked Patriarch Kirill for “once again confirming the jurisdiction of the Georgian Orthodox Church over Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.”