CORFU, 10 -11 DECEMBER 2021. MEETING OF THE I.A.O. INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
The meeting of the I.A.O. International Secretariat and Committee Chairpersons and Rapporteurs took place in Corfu on December 10 and 11, 2021, in which parliamentarians from 10 countries participated. During the meeting an overview report and a programming activities report were presented by the I.A.O. Secretary General, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos. Before the commencement of works, the I.A.O. Secretary General Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos with the Deputy Secretary General Dr. Andreas Michailidis and the Advisor Dr. Kostas Mygdalis had meetings with His Eminence the Metropolitan of Corfu Mr. Nektarios, the Mayor Mrs. Meropi Hydraiou and the Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Kostas Zorbas. During their stay on the island, the delegations of the Orthodox parliamentarians, who participated in the I.A.O. works, attended the Episcopal Vespers for Saint Spyridon, Patron Saint of Corfu. In addition, the I.A.O. International Secretariat held commemorative events at the tomb of the first Governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, in Holy Church of Platytera and at the monument of the the Russian Admiral Theodore Usakov. Finally, the I.A.O. Secretary General Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos and the President of the I.A.O. General Assembly Mr. Sergei Gavrilov had a meeting of acquaintance and exchange of views with the new Metropolitan of Montenegro His Eminence Mr. Ioannikios, who went to the island for the festive events in honor of St. Spyridon. In the meeting framework, the topic of the dialogue on the Future of Europe was discussed. The International Secretariat discussed the issue and the positions of several bodies and citizens of the European area on it and issued a relevant Statement. In that Statement, the following are mentioned: “… Historical truths are the only ones that can enlighten our future, and recording them in the dialogue process is a unique opportunity. The Christian roots of Europe are one of the solid foundations of European culture as a whole. Any attempt to conceal such decisive sources of culture for the history of the people of Europe, in the name of the so-called peaceful coexistence of the people, leads to the alteration of the historical reality… The I.A.O. is unequivocally in favor of inclusiveness and eliminating all forms of discrimination inside and outside Europe. We realize, however, that some schools of thought, in the name of the so-called non-discrimination… that promotes the homogenization of the identity of nations and peoples, and thus the elimination of their particular characteristics, is becoming more and more active…”. Moreover, the I.A.O. Statement refers to the recent draft text of the Internal Guidelines of the European Commission for a more inclusive communication, proposed by European Commissioner Mrs. Helena Dalli that has ultimately been withdrawn. «…It is a text that has ultimately been withdrawn, that denies any difference arising from the cultural and religious heterogeneity of European citizens by introducing a “wooden,” automated, and neutral vocabulary, which urges to avoid the use of terms and names referring to ethnicity, language, religion, or gender”. The Statement concludes «… the reduction of the historical truth of the European area undoubtedly contributes to the reduction of the European idea …».
The meeting of the I.A.O. International Secretariat and Committee Chairpersons and Rapporteurs took place in Corfu on December 10 and 11, 2021, in which parliamentarians from 10 countries participated. During the meeting an overview report and a programming activities report were presented by the I.A.O. Secretary General, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos. Before the commencement of works, the I.A.O. Secretary General Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos with the Deputy Secretary General Dr. Andreas Michailidis and the Advisor Dr. Kostas Mygdalis had meetings with His Eminence the Metropolitan of Corfu Mr. Nektarios, the Mayor Mrs. Meropi Hydraiou and the Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Kostas Zorbas. During their stay on the island, the delegations of the Orthodox parliamentarians, who participated in the I.A.O. works, attended the Episcopal Vespers for Saint Spyridon, Patron Saint of Corfu. In addition, the I.A.O. International Secretariat held commemorative events at the tomb of the first Governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, in Holy Church of Platytera and at the monument of the the Russian Admiral Theodore Usakov. Finally, the I.A.O. Secretary General Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos and the President of the I.A.O. General Assembly Mr. Sergei Gavrilov had a meeting of acquaintance and exchange of views with the new Metropolitan of Montenegro His Eminence Mr. Ioannikios, who went to the island for the festive events in honor of St. Spyridon. 
In the meeting framework, the topic of the dialogue on the Future of Europe was discussed. The International Secretariat discussed the issue and the positions of several bodies and citizens of the European area on it and issued a relevant Statement. In that Statement, the following are mentioned: “… Historical truths are the only ones that can enlighten our future, and recording them in the dialogue process is a unique opportunity. The Christian roots of Europe are one of the solid foundations of European culture as a whole. Any attempt to conceal such decisive sources of culture for the history of the people of Europe, in the name of the so-called peaceful coexistence of the people, leads to the alteration of the historical reality… The I.A.O. is unequivocally in favor of inclusiveness and eliminating all forms of discrimination inside and outside Europe. We realize, however, that some schools of thought, in the name of the so-called non-discrimination… that promotes the homogenization of the identity of nations and peoples, and thus the elimination of their particular characteristics, is becoming more and more active…”. Moreover, the I.A.O. Statement refers to the recent draft text of the Internal Guidelines of the European Commission for a more inclusive communication, proposed by European Commissioner Mrs. Helena Dalli that has ultimately been withdrawn. «…It is a text that has ultimately been withdrawn, that denies any difference arising from the cultural and religious heterogeneity of European citizens by introducing a “wooden,” automated, and neutral vocabulary, which urges to avoid the use of terms and names referring to ethnicity, language, religion, or gender”. The Statement concludes «… the reduction of the historical truth of the European area undoubtedly contributes to the reduction of the European idea …». 
