Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze emphasized the Georgian chant as an invaluable achievement of our ancient culture and stressed this unique heritage was recognized by the whole world with the great efforts of the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II and the acclaimed Georgian composer and folk music researcher Anzor Erkomaishvili, who dedicated their work to the cause during the most difficult conditions of the Soviet regime.

In his speech at the presentation of a multi-volume collection of Georgian chants at the country’s Folklore State Centre, Kobakhidze said that Georgian polyphony was a combination of the uniqueness of each person and the idea of harmony and love between people.

"The Georgian polyphony best reveals the independent nature of a Georgian man, his attitude to his neighbours, to his homeland and to the world in general. The Georgian chant expresses the highest Christian ideals that created Georgian identity for hundreds of years”, - the PM noted.

He emphasized the tradition of chanting in Georgia, like the culture as a whole, had gone through difficult historical periods, including following the loss of independence, when the tradition was even in danger of disappearing.

The PM also highlighted that Bidzina Ivanishvili's the former PM) charity enabled the Centre to research chants, digitize the existing sheet music, and encourage youth participation in this important cause.

He also extended gratitude to the founder of the Georgian Chanting Foundation Ivane Chkhartishvili, as well as to everyone who had contributed to the creation of the 29 volumes of the anthology, which includes 6000 chants. Kobakhidze affirmed the Government’s support for the Folklore State Centre.