ATHENS, 14 MARCH 2007
The meeting of the International Secretariat and the Chairpersons of the Committees of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (I.A.O.) as well as the conference scheduled to be held in Amman, Jordan, 14 – 18 March 2007 could not take place due to the small number of participants for both events.
However, the meeting of the I.A.O International Secretariat and the Chairpersons of its Committees was deemed very important. Therefore, following the agreement with the President of the I.A.O General Assembly Mr. Popov, the meeting of the I.A.O International Secretariat and the Chairpersons of its Committees was held in Athens, 14 March 2007.
Members of Parliaments from Greece, the Russian Federation, Jordan and Uganda, participated in the meeting.
During the meeting of the I.A.O International Secretariat and the Chairpersons of its Committees, discussions were held and decisions taken on the following issues:
1. Meeting of Ministers of Culture
Following an extensive discussion on the meeting of the Ministers of Culture, the proposal that was accepted by the majority is that as a first step the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (I.A.O.) is going to invite the Ministers of Culture of the I.A.O member-states, which support the I.A.O financially to a meeting, which will be held in May 2007 (Greece, Russian Federation, Cyprus, Ukraine and Bulgaria).
The objective of this meeting will be the preparation of the international conference with the participation of the Ministers of Culture of the 25 states whose parliaments are members of the I.A.O. During this meeting the declaration document which has been proposed will be signed.
Moreover, the possibility for constituting a permanent forum of the Ministers of Culture of the states, which participate in the I.A.O will be discussed.
2. 14th annual I.A.O General Assembly in Kazakhstan
- Following the proposal of the host country (due to the end of the Parliament session) the works of the 14th I.A.O General Assembly will be held in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan, from 20 to 23 June 2007.
- Main subject of the General Assembly: “Inter-religious dialogue as a factor of peace and justice”.
3. Meeting of an I.A.O delegation with the orthodox Members of Parliaments of Africa in Johannesburg, 11 – 1 2 April 2007
In collaboration with Mr. Theodore Ssekikubo, MP, a meeting of an I.A.O delegation with the orthodox members of Parliaments of Africa, as well as the opening of the I.A.O information office, will be held in Johannesburg, 11 – 12 April 2007.
4. Participation of an I.A.O delegation to the General Assemblies of International Organizations in which the I.A.O has the status of observer
- Interparliamentary Union (IPU) – 116th Assembly in Bali, 29 April – 4 May 2007
- International conference of the European Committee (Directorate of Governance and Ethics) in reference on research ethics and capacity building in developing countries and emerging economies, Brussels, 14 – 15 May 2007
- 28th General Assembly of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and the International Parliamentary Conference on Pan-European Co-operation with subject:«Intercultural and Inter-religious dialogue», St. Petersburg, 31 May – 1 June 2007
- 29th Plenary Session of the PABSEC General Assembly, Varna, 13 – 14 June 2007