BRUSSELS – GENEVA, 20 – 22 NOVEMBER 2001.

DELEGATION OF THE IAO SECRETARIAT VISITS BRUSSELS AND GENEVA.

A delegation of the IAO Secretariat, headed by the Deputy Secretary, Greek Member of Parliament mr. Katsaros and mr. Vladimir Medvedev, along with the Secretariat advisors Mr. V. Alexeev and the Secretariat person- in charge Mrs Miliou, visited in autumn the seat of the European Commission and of the European Parliament in Brussels. There, the delegation had contacts and discussions with the Commissioner in charge of cultural issues Mrs. Viviane Reding and the Greek Commissioner Mrs. A. Diamantopoulou.

Moreover, the delegaiton met and discussed with the Vice President of the Committee on Culture of the European Parliament Mr.Gracamoura and the member of the European Parliament Mr. Manicko, member of the same Committee. Finally, a meeting took place with the member of the Committee on Ecclesiastic and Religious issues Dr.M.Weninger and the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the European Commission , Bishop Rigiou Emmanuel. Discussions focused on the terrorist acts in the USA, which have been overtly condemned by the Secretariat, the European Union enlargement towards countries whose great parts of population experience the Orthodox tradition and pursue the IAO objectives.

The delegation then visited Geneva, where it had contacts and discussions with members of the World Council of Churches and representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and of the Moscow Patriarchate. The delegation also met with the Reverend Rudiger Noll, Secretary of Committee on Church and Society of the European Church Council. Moreover, it visited the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambesy, Geneva and met its director Mr. G. Tsetsis and members of the Orthodox Center. Finally they had a meeting with Mr. Georgios Lemopoulos, Deputy Secretary General of the World Council of Churches and the Reverend Dwain Epps, Director of Public Affairs Program.