Pope Francis has set off on a three-day visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The first leg of his trip will include a courtesy visit to President Giorgi Margvelashvili and a meeting with Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia.
The Pope is expected to issue a strong appeal for peace in Syria and Iraq, where Christians are being attacked and driven from their homes by Islamic extremists. The Pope has strongly condemned the recent assault by Russian and Syrian forces on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
A special prayer for peace is planned for this evening in Georgia's Chaldean Catholic church, with members of the Assyrian Chaldean Church leadership. It comes just days after Pope Francis warned those responsible for the Aleppo siege "will be held accountable before God".
