London U.K., February 17-18, 2025. Participation of the IAO Secretary General to the Global Conference of the Alliance of Responsible Citizenship (ARC)

In 17-18 February 2025, the Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, participated in the Global Conference of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC), which took place in London.

The ARC is an organization founded in 2023 and aims to restore and renew the cultural, social and economic foundations of the West. It brings together distinguished personalities from the political sphere, the academic community, the business world and the cultural spectrum, the sciences, letters and arts and organizes discussions on critical economic, political, social and cultural issues and challenges facing the modern world and Western Civilization. The main issues on which ARC’s action focuses are: education for responsible citizens, strengthening the concept of family and the social fabric, the fight against corruption and good governance, and environmental protection and sustainable development.

On the sidelines of the ARC Conference, the Secretary General met with parliamentarians, political and religious figures who share common concerns and values with the IAO. Among them were Ms. Gudrun Kugler, Member of Parliament of Austria, one of the co-founders of the ARC Forum, and Mr. Martin Helme, Member of the Parliament of Estonia. With them, he exchanged views on the role of Christian values in public life and the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, while presenting the work and initiatives of the ARC, underlining the importance of dialogue and cooperation between parliaments.

Of particular importance was the meeting with the Archbishop of London of the Coptic Church, Mr. Angelos. The head of the IAO informed him about the upcoming meeting of the International Secretariat of the IAO in Egypt next March, and the initiatives for the protection of Christianity in the Middle East and the need to preserve these historical communities in the region.

After the conclusion of the works of the Global Conference, the head of the interparliamentary institution stated that “Today more than ever, Europe and the World need responsible citizens, in order to overcome the global challenges posed by the escalation of armed conflicts, the climate crisis, artificial intelligence, the flagrant violation of human rights and the undermining of democratic institutions and processes. The creation of responsible citizens is the responsibility of the State and Education is an essential tool. However, religious values that co-shape social behavior and constitute the moral compass for harmonious and prosperous societies also play an important role.”