Athens, 27 August 2026. Meeting between the IAO Secretary General and the Speaker of the Parliament of Jordan

In the framework of his official visit to Greece, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Mr. Mazen Al-Qadi, held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos.

The head of the international institution, during his address, stated that “The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is not only an anchor of stability in the Middle East, but also a guardian of the status quo that governs the Holy Land. This has been of great importance throughout history, but even more so in our days, when, unfortunately, we are once again seeing tension and armed conflicts in the wider Middle East. The victims of these conflicts are all the peoples of the region, and especially religious minorities. That is why we see with concern the shrinking population of Christians in the Middle East.”

The IAO Secretary General thanked the Speaker of the Jordanian Parliament for the support he offers to the work of the Organization, with the greatest proof being the hospitality he provided for the organization of the International Secretariat in Amman in the fall of 2025. He also praised the initiative to establish the International Orthodox University in Al-Maqtas, inaugurated by King Abdullah II of Jordan and Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, which is located on the holy site of the Baptism of Christ.

For his part, the Speaker of the Jordanian Parliament stressed the importance that Jordan attaches to religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence. As he said, “some of us remain Christians and some of us have become Muslims. The Holy Quran, which is the divinely sent word of God himself, has referred in many places to Jesus Christ and Mary, and this requires respect.” He criticized the fact that “some are trying to cause a rupture between religions through discord, through division, but in reality religion belongs to God and God is one and only.” He even invited the members of the IAO to participate in the dedicated actions that the Jordanian government will undertake for the celebrations in 2030 of the 2000th anniversary of the Baptism of Jesus Christ.

The meeting was also attended by Jordanian MP, President of the Jordan-Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group and member of the Jordanian delegation to the IAO, Dr. Hayel Ayash.