Home page News
DECR chairman speaks at Athens forum on relig…

DECR chairman speaks at Athens forum on religious pluralism in Middle East

October 30, 2017 – the second conference on the situation of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East opened at the Intercontinental Hotel in Athens. Its theme is ‘Religious and Cultural Pluralism and Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East’. The first forum on this topic took place in the Greek capital on October 18-20, 2015.

The conference is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. The forum assembled delegates from 50 countries including Primates of Local Orthodox Churches, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant communities, Muslim leaders, statesmen, and representatives of international organizations and the academic community.

Among the attendees are Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Patriarchs Theodore of Alexandria and All Africa, Theophilos of Jerusalem, Archbishops Chrysostomos of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, Ieronymos of All Greece and Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania.

Opening speeches were made by President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolaos Kotzias. They were followed by high-ranking religious and political leaders.

The Russian Orthodox Church was represented by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations (DECR). Before the beginning of the conference, Metropolitan Hilarion warmly greeted Primates of Local Orthodox Churches. The DECR chairman made a report on the disastrous situation of Christians in the Middle East. He stressed the need to give all possible support to the restoration of the Christian presence in Syria and other Middle East countries: ‘The extremists and terrorists have in recent times been surrendering their positions. In Syria, thanks to the decisive actions of the Russian army, they have been almost totally destroyed. De-escalation zones are being set up; conditions are emerging for both the return of civilians and for the restoration of the infrastructure and aid supplies. Today we, the religious and political leaders, representatives of the expert community, must together think of what we can do to return Christians to their homelands’.

After his report the DECR chairman gave an interview to the chief of the Athens office of the Russia Today international news agency, Gennady Melnik.

The conference was attended by heads and representatives of other Christian Churches, including Catholicos Aram of Cilicia, representatives of the Coptic, Maronite and Syriac Orthodox Churches, foreign ministers of Hungary, Austria and other European countries, high-ranking representatives of the Islamic countries including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and others, the head of the Bektashi Order Haji Dede Edmond Brahimaj, the Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department of Interreligious Affairs Rabbi David Rosen, representatives of the UN, Council of Europe, UNESCO and other international organizations.

Key reports were made on various aspects of the problem of the situation of believers in the Middle East and North Africa.

During the forum, which will last till October 31, its participants will attend the reception to be given by Greek Prime Minister A. Tsipras. There will be a concluding press conference to be led by the Hellenic foreign affairs minister N. Kotzias.

Metropolitan Hilarion is accompanied at the forum by Rev. Dimitry Safonov, DECR secretary for interreligious relations, and Hierodeacon Gregory (Sokolov), DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations.

DECR Communication Service

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Honorary Chair of Japan’s Sasakawa Peace Foundation

21.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill takes part in the closing ceremony of VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

18.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with religious leaders on the sidelines of the Congress in Astana

18.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Russia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexey Borodavkin

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks at the opening of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends greetings to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Ambassador of Turkey to Russia

02.09.2025

Visit of Deans of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa to Russia concludes

01.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa

27.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-Night Vigil in Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the eve of Dormition

27.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates MGIMO rector Anatoly Torkunov on his 75th birthday

26.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill holds prayer service ahead of Russia-US Presidents' meeting in Alaska

15.08.2025

Meeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with the President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic takes place

30.07.2025

DECR chairman concludes his visit to Northern Iraq

02.10.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with Hierarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church

01.10.2025

DECR Chairman meets in Erbil with Director for the Preservation of Assyrian Cultural Heritage

01.10.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan

30.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with Russia’s Consul General in Erbil

29.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East

29.09.2025

DECR chairman meets with Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs of Kurdistan Region of Iraq

29.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with the Head of the Council of Ulema of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

29.09.2025

DECR Chairman meets with representatives of Christian communities of Iraq

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony takes part in the Assyrian Church of the East Conference dedicated to the First Ecumenical Council

28.09.2025

DECR Chairman meets with the Primate and Members of the Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East

28.09.2025

Visit of the DECR Chairman to Northern Iraq begins

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolasmk leads patronal celebrations at the Church of the Renewal of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Danilovskaya Sloboda

26.09.2025

DECR chairman meets with Israel’s ambassador to Russia

25.09.2025

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب