Amman, Jordan. 14 – 17 November 2025. Autumn meeting of the IAO International Secretariat

The members of the International Secretariat of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) paid an official visit to Jordan from 14 to 17 November 2025, where the autumn meeting of the International Secretariat was also hosted. The visit was organized by the Head of the parliamentary delegation of Jordan to the IAO, Mr. Wasfi Haddad, in collaboration with the Jordanian Parliament and the Ministry of Tourism of Jordan.

The IAO delegation included MPs from thirteen countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Jordan, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia. His Eminence Metropolitan of Zambia and Mozambique, Mr. Ioannis, participated in the capacity of the Liaison between the IAO and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). Also participating as special guests were former MP and long-time member of the Organization, Mr. Joseph Iskander (Sudan) and the runner-up MP from Poland, Mr. Aleksander Wasilyk.

Ι) Official meeting with His Royal Highness the Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan

The members of the IAO International Secretariat had the opportunity to hold a meeting with His Royal Highness the Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan, which took place at Bisman Palace.

During his address, the IAO Secretary General, member of the Hellenic Parliament, dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, emphasized that “Over 100 years have passed since the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 and the East has changed dramatically. Until then, one in three inhabitants of Asia Minor, Mesopotamia and the Holy Land was Christian. Today there are only a few thousand in Turkey, a few hundred thousand in Iraq, while in Syria Christians are being massacred, undergoing the trials of the early Christian years. Jordan is one of the few countries where there is safety for Christians in the Middle East and we are truly grateful to you for that reason.”

The head of the IAO emphasized, “Considering your rich work, you are a charismatic personality who promotes interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding among peoples and cultures. We hope that the example of Jordan will be bright for the entire Middle East and that there will soon be better days for all its inhabitants.”

For his part, Prince El Hassan warmly welcomed the IAO members, noting that “Eastern Christianity is an integral part of the history of the region and stated that the future of the Levant is shaped by three central pillars: territory, identities and migrations”. He added, “The persistence of injustice and the absence of justice create fertile ground for extremism, underlining that building peace begins with the recognition of the other and respect for diversity”. He also affirmed that “comprehensive, knowledge-based dialogue remains the necessary path to maintaining the social fabric of the region. Preserving human dignity is the true foundation of stability, noting that dialogue between the components of a society is not optional, but a necessity dictated by the current moment and the imperatives of human security”.

You can watch part of Mr. Maximos Harakopoulos’ address:

ΙΙ) Official meeting with the Archbishop of Amman Christophoros

On Sunday morning, the IAO delegation attended church at the Orthodox Cathedral of the Presentation of Christ (Ypapanti tou Kyriou), where the Divine Liturgy was celebrated, presided over by the Archbishop of Amman of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Mr. Christophoros.

In fact, the His Eminence the Archbishop of Amman hosted an official dinner for the IAO members at the Orthodox Club of Amman. During his address, Maximos Charakopoulos noted that “this year, at the beginning of the year, we had the blessing of visiting a delegation of the IOC to Saint Catherine in Sinai, and to see with our own eyes the concession (ahdname), with the palm of the prophet of Islam Muhammad, which grants privileges and places Christians under its protection. We rejoice because in Jordan, the Hashemite Kingdom and personally King Abdullah faithfully observes this legacy of the prophet of Islam Muhammad, and has placed the Christians of Jordan and the wider Middle East under its protection.”

The Archbishop of Amman, in his address, after welcoming the participants, referred to the enormous work of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Jordan, which has a history of 2,000 years, as it currently has 70 churches, 20 schools and will soon start a University with 3 schools in the Jordan River region. He also referred to the excellent relations with Muslims, which are due to the care of the King of Jordan, while emphasizing the need to preserve Romanism in the Middle East. The Dinner was attended, among others, by the President of the Parliament, Mr. Mazen Al-Qudah, and the Minister of Tourism of Jordan, Mr. Amad Hjazen.

III) Presentation of the Volume on Hagia Sophia Churches

During the stay of the IAO members in Amman, the presentation of the Arabic edition of the volume “Hagia Sophia. The Churches of the Wisdom of God around the World” was also held at the event space of the Orthodox Educational Society.

In his speech, the head of the IAO underlined, among other things, that “every visitor feels that they are walking through history itself here, which remains alive through magnificent monuments, which are protected not only from the ravages of time but also from damaging human interventions. In particular, we admire the splendid monuments of the Hellenistic period, which still radiate the grandeur of that long period, as the passage of Alexander the Great and the establishment of Hellenistic cities in the wider region contributed to the creation of a high civilization that has left its mark to this day.”

In his greeting, the Archbishop of Amman congratulated the IAO for the work it does by uniting peoples and parliaments on the principles of Orthodoxy, which must be preserved, because it gives hope, patience and love, while he spoke warmly about Greece and its value in the modern world. Also, referring to Byzantine civilization, he pointed out that its legacy gives strength but also lessons for today, for a civilization that will not turn against the will of God.

The head of the Jordanian parliamentary delegation to the IAO, Dr. Wasfi Haddad, also delivered a greeting, while Dr. Audeh Quawas, a member of the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), spoke about the Volume.

Members of parliament, ministers, ambassadors and a multitude of believers attended the presentation.

ΙV) Pilgrimage Visit to the Jordan River

The ΙΑΟ delegation made a pilgrimage visit to the Baptism site where Jesus Christ was baptized on the east bank of the Jordan River, the Orthodox Monastery of St. John the Baptist and the Jordan River. The members of the International Secretariat were welcomed by the General Director of the Archaeological Site of the Baptism, Mr. Rustom Mkhjian.

In Madiva, the Orthodox MPs visited the early Byzantine Church of St. Georgios, in the mosaic of which is the unique 6th century mosaic geographical map. It depicts a large part of the then Middle East and is the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land. The IAO delegation was welcomed by the protosyngelos Fr. Raphael Grivas, the archimandrite Fr. Benedictus Cayal, the hieromonk Fr. Symeon Spyropoulos and the abbot Fr. Andreas Samiye

V) Autumn meeting of the IAO International Secretariat

The autumn meeting of the IAO International Secretariat was held at the Jordanian Parliament building. The meeting was attended and addressed by parliamentarians from 13 countries: Mr. Ioan Vulpescu, from Romania, President of the IAO General Assembly, Georgios Karasmanis, Theophilos Leontaridis, Apostolos Panas and Charalambos Mamoulakis, from Greece, Manal Helal and Ehab Ramzy from Egypt, Vangelis Doule, from Albania, Sisak Gabrielyan and Hayk Tsirunyan from Armenia, Nenad Grkovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mile Talevski, from North Macedonia, Toma Lyubomirov Bikov from Bulgaria, Irakli Kadagishvili from Georgia, Wasfi Hilal Abdallah Haddad, Hayel Ayash, Eyad Jebreen, Jehad Abdel Majid Khamis Abawi, Huda Naffa, Rand Jihad Fuad Alkhzouz, Jehad Madanat, Issa Nassar, Haitham Alziadin and Jammal Issa Jeries Gammo from Jordan, Panikos Leonidou, Elias Myrianthus and Marinos Mousiouttas from Cyprus, Laokratis Koranisz from Hungary and Ana Ivanovic, from Serbia.

The opening ceremony was announced by the Speaker of the Jordanian Parliament, Mr. Mazen Al-Qudah, who welcomed the members of the International Secretariat of the IAO and praised its initiatives for peace and cooperation between Christians and Muslims. He added, “Jordan’s hosting of the proceedings of this conference expresses the deep belief that dialogue between religions and cultures is the foundation of peace and stability. Jordan is a land of harmony that believes in love, solidarity and dialogue as a way to address every crisis. And we are always proud because in Jordan we are a model of security and stability in a region shaken by waves of unrest.” The head of the Jordanian parliamentary delegation to the IAO, Mr. Wasfi Haddad, also extended his greetings.

During his address, the IAO Secretary General emphasized, “Jordan is an oasis of peace, security and prosperity and for this, and its leadership and institutions deserve congratulations for the policies they have pursued over time. First and foremost, King Abdullah, who leads the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and is a guarantor of equality and citizenship for all citizens of the kingdom, regardless of religion. And Christians are a constituent element of Jordan, having been here, in the cradle of Christianity, for 2,000 years.”

Referring to the efforts being made to achieve peace in both the Gaza Strip and the war in Ukraine, he stressed the “need to respect the ceasefire that has been achieved in the Gaza Strip and its importance for peace in the wider Middle East, noting that now, therefore, is the time for reconstruction, peace projects, diplomacy and solidarity, reason and contribution. Because hundreds of thousands of people, including many women, children and the elderly, are experiencing the most adverse conditions. In this small strip of land, the foundations of a lasting peace must be laid, through the development and prosperity of its citizens.” He also noted “we should point out, however, that the problem is not only found in Palestine and Israel, but also in other countries in the region where the situation remains tense. I mention Syria as an example, where our Christian brothers must receive absolute protection in the new conditions that are taking shape in the country. Here too, the international community must be particularly strict in the terms and conditions of support for the new regime, so that we do not see a repetition of the sad phenomena of persecution of the Christian population and other minorities.”

The head of the IAO proceeded to a detailed report on the Organization’s actions during the previous six months. Specifically, he referred in the report to the Organization’s diverse activity, which includes a series of international initiatives aimed at inter-parliamentary cooperation, promoting dialogue, establishing channels of cooperation and strengthening Christian values in Europe.

In the second part of the work of the International Secretariat of the IAO, the Secretary General developed the planning of the Organization’s actions for the upcoming period, including:

a) more active participation in European developments,

b) presentations of the Volume on the Hagia Sophia Churches,

c) International Collaborations for Interfaith Dialogue and the Dialogue of the Political World with Religious Expressions, and

d) the inter-institutional collaborations of the IAO.