31TH ASSEMBLY | PALERMO, ITALY | JUNE 27 – JULY 1, 2024
The 31st General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy (IAO) was held in Palermo, Sicily, from June 27 to July 1, 2024, with main topic “Evaluation of the conclusions of the International Political Conference on Christian Values. The IAO encounters new facts”. Parliamentary delegations from ten countries participated in the General Assembly: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Poland, Romania and Serbia, as well as the IAO Advisor, Dr. Kostas Mygdalis.
In his presentation on the main topic, the IAO General Secretary, Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos underlined the “need for the parameter of Christian values to be at the center of the political discussion and planning for the future of Europe, as, today, this perspective is absent. Thus, although the Christian tradition has, historically played a decisive role in the creation of the European cultural structure, and although it still occupies a central position in the consciousness of the European peoples. Therefore, placing Christian values at the center of the public political debate is particularly important in terms of shaping the future image of our common European home”.
Moreover, greetings were addressed by the Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Athanasios Bouras, His Eminence Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy and Exarch of Southern Europe, representing His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, His Eminence Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia and Mozambique, representing the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II, the Assistant Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), Amb. Mr. Ali Asghar Mohammadi Sijani, the President of the movement “Policy for Unity” (MppU), Dr. Mario Bruno, the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Jerry Pillay and the former IAO Secretary General, Dr. Andreas Michailidis.
During the works of the General Assembly, the IAO Secretary General presented the overview of the activities of the Organization for the year 2023-2024, as well as the planning of the activities for the coming year. In addition, the IAO Treasurer, Mr. Athanasios Davakis, presented the report on the financial management of the past year, while the budget for the year 2024-2025 was approved.
Regarding the organizational issues, the IAO General Assembly unanimously approved the amended IAO Founding Act, following a proposal by the Chair of the IAO Founding Act Amendment Committee, Mr. Panikos Leonidou. In addition, the Assembly unanimously elected New President of the IAO General Assembly Mr. Ioan Vulpescu, head of the Romanian parliamentary delegation to the IAO.
Finally, on the sidelines of the IAO General Assembly, presentations of the Italian version of the Volume “Hagia Sophia: The Churches of the Wisdom of God around the World” were organized in Messina and Palermo.
