According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople “continues to maintain the insidious line of division in Orthodoxy and this time intends to take advantage of the death of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and strengthen his influence over the Georgian Orthodox Church.”

The statement from the agency notes that the Ecumenical Patriarch wants to promote a candidate to the position of head of the Georgian Orthodox Church on whom he can rely.

"He wants to promote a representative of the Georgian Orthodox Church to the vacant position, whom he can rely on. Bartholomew is considering Metropolitan Abraham (Garmelia) of Western Europe and Metropolitan Grigol (Berbichashvili) of Poti and Khobi as candidates for this role. He presents them to his closest entourage as the most suitable executors of his will," reads the information.