23RD I.A.O. GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THESSALONIKI, GREECE, 4 – 8 JULY 2016
Main subject: «Fundamental global changes – Christian Orthodox perspective».
In the presence of the Presidents of the Hellenic Parliament and the Russian State Duma Mr. Nikolaos Voutsis and Mr. Sergey Naryshkin, the works of the 23rd annual General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (I.A.O.) were held in Thessaloniki, Greece with the participation of twenty six parliamentary delegations and groups of parliamentarians from different countries.
The Inaugural Ceremony was held at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki on Monday, 4 July 2016. The works of the General Assembly were opened by the Presidents of the Hellenic Parliament and the Russian State Duma Mr. Nikolaos Voutsis and Mr. Sergey Naryshkin. Both Presidents along with the President of the I.A.O. General Assembly Mr. Sergey Popov and the I.A.O. Secretary General Mr. Ioannis Amanatidis officially opened the exhibition “Athos. The Holy Mountain” at the Atrium of the Museum.
Greeting messages were sent by: His All Holiness The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa and His Holiness The Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. During the Inaugural Ceremony greeting addresses were presented by the Deputy Minister of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction (Macedonia – Thrace), Ms. Maria Kollia-Tsaroucha and the Mayor of Thessaloniki Mr. Giannis Boutaris.
Additionally, greeting message was sent by the Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Ms. Valentina Matviyenko.
Representatives of international organisations participated at the works of the General Assembly, ie. the World Council of Churches Ms. Kristina Mantasasvili, PABSEC Deputy Secretary General Mr. Miltiadis Makrygiannis, the Parliamentary Assembly of Russia – Belarus Union Mr. Andrey Naumovich, as well as the President of the “Movement for Politics & Policy for Unity (MppU)” Ms. Letizia de Torre.
Moreover, awards were given for the 2nd I.A.O photo contest with subject: «Destruction of monuments of Eastern Christianity».
The General Assembly following discussion and interventions by the participants, approved the resolution-conclusions document.
During the General Assembly elections of the I.A.O. organs were held.
President of the General Assembly: Sergei Popov (Russian Federation)
Secretary General: Andreas Michailidis (Greece)
Alternate Secretary: Athanasios Bouras (Greece)
Treasurer: Stavros Arachovitis (Greece)
Advisors: Dr. Kostas Mygdalis (Greece), Prof. Valery Alexeev (Russian Federation)International Secretariat:
Jaroslav Nilov (Russian Federation)
Angelos Votsis (Cyprus)
Zakaria Kutsnashvili (Georgia)
Vasil Antonov (Bulgaria)
Joseph Iskander (Sudan)
Andrejs Klementievs (Latvia)
