32ND ASSEMBLY | BUCHAREST, ROMANIA | 2 – 6 JUNE 2025

The 32nd General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) was held in Bucharest, Romania, on 2-6 June 2025, with main topic: “The cooperation of parliamentary and religious institutions in shaping the guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence: the significance of IPU’s Marrakesh Communiqué”. This year’s Plenary Session was hosted at the Chamber of Deputies of Romania, following the proposal of the President of the IAO General Assembly, Member of the Romanian Parliament, Mr. Ioan Vulpescu.

Representatives from 15 parliaments participated at the works of the General Assembly: Greece, Armenia, Albania, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Estonia, Jordan, Iran, Cyprus, Moldova, Romania and Serbia.

The inaugural ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 3, and was dedicated to: “100 years of the Patriarchate of Romania – 140 years of the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Romania”.

The opening of the General Assembly was declared by the Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania, Vasile Daniel Suciu.

Greeting addresses were presented by the Vice-President of the Romanian Senate, Mr. Robert-Marius Cazanciuc, the representative of the Patriarch Daniel of Romania, Rev. fr. Augustin Coman, the representative of the Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova Mr. Igor Grosu, Mr. Boris Marcoci, MP, the President of the Romanian Academy Mr. Ioan Aurel Pop, the Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism of Romania Mr. Bogdan Gruia Ivan, the Rector of the National University Politehnica of Bucharest for Sciences and Technology Mr. Mihnea Cosmin Costoiu, the Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Athanasios Bouras, the Assistant Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC), Mr. Ali Asghar Mohammadi Sijani, the President of the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the EU (COMECE), Rev. Bishop Mariano Crociata, the Coordinator of the “Together for Europe” Organization, Mr. Gerhart Pross, the Director of the Office of the Muslim World League (MWL) in Spain, Mr. Khoja Hussam Siddiq, the representative of the Focolare Movement President of the Movement Politics for Unity (MppU), Mr. Mario Bruno and the Director of Coexistence of the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance (KHGC), Ms. Noora Almansoori.

Video messages were presented of the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Ms. Roxana Mînzatu, the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr. Martin Chungong and the President-in-Office of the UNESCO General Conference, Ms. Simon Mirela Miculescu.

Moreover, greeting messages were read of the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, the President of the European Conference of Churches (CEC), His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyatira and Great Britain, by his representative dr. Peter Pavlovic and of His Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodoros II by H.E. Archbishop Ioannis of Zambia and Mozambique.

The former President of Romania (1996-2000) Mr. Emil Constaninescu and numerous ambassadors of IAO member states attended the Inaugural Ceremony of the General Assembly.

During the special session on the main topic of the General Assembly: “The cooperation of parliamentary and religious institutions in shaping the guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence: the significance of IPU’s Marrakesh Communiqué”, the participants were welcomed by the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Mr. Bogdan-Gruia Ivan. Key note speeches were presented by the Member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies Mr. Alin Colesa, Member of the delegation to the IAO, the Professor of the Automatics and Computers Faculty of the Politehnica University of Bucharest Mr. Florin Pop, the Professor of the Science and Technology Faculty of the Politehnica University of Bucharest Mr. Ciprian Dobrea and by Mr. Fotios Fitsilis, Head of the Department of Scientific Documentation and Supervision of the Scientific Service of the Hellenic Parliament, who, inter alia, referred to the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in democratic institutions, the integration of technological innovation by parliaments and the need for a human-centered and participatory governance of artificial intelligence.

Furthermore, on the sidelines of the work, the IAO leadership had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister of Romania, Mr. Cătălin Predoiu, whom they informed about the Organization’s recent initiatives and thanked for the long-standing support of the Romanian Parliament for the work of the IAO.

On Wednesday, June 4, the meeting on organizational issues was held, during which the overview report of the IAO Secretary General was presented and the planning of future activities of the Organization was approved. Among these actions are:

a) interventions to highlight the Christian tradition in European culture and Christian values in shaping the future of Europe as well as,

b) actions for the protection of Christians in the Middle East and Christian monuments. In addition, the IAO budget for the upcoming financial year 2025-2026 was adopted.

Finally, the regular elections for the composition of the IAO statutory bodies were held. It is noted that the members of the General Assembly considered the operating model of the IAO Standing Committees to be non-functional and decided to create an Organizational Affairs Committee, a body for the management of organizational issues, which will assist the International Secretariat and the General Assembly in their work. [ORGANS]

In fact, upon the proposal of the IAO Secretary General, the members unanimously adopted a resolution, in which they express “the strong concern that the news of the decision of the second instance court of Ismailia of the Arab Republic of Egypt has caused us, regarding the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai”. The Resolution appeals to the Egyptian authorities “to guarantee the property rights historically enjoyed by the Sinai Brotherhood, so that this unnecessary unrest may end”. [RESOLUTION]

On Thursday, June 5, participants had the opportunity to visit the Holy Monastery of Sinaia, which was built according to the model of the homonymous Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai in Egypt. Finally, they had the opportunity to visit the famous Peles Palace.

    Bucharest, 4 June 2025. Resolution on St. Catherine’s Holy Monastery in Mount Sinai

    Photo gallery. Bucharest, Romania. 2 – 6 June 2025. 32nd IAO General Assembly

    I.A.O. Organs. 32nd IAO General Assembly. Bucharest, 3 June 2025