MOSCOW, 19 – 22 NOVEMBER 2006
The I.A.O International Secretariat and the Chairpersons of its Committees held with great success the autumn meeting in the capital city of the Russian Federation, Moscow. The meeting was held at the State Duma of the Russian Federation with the participation of the President of the I.A.O General Assembly Mr. Sergei Popov, the I.A.O Secretary General Mr. Stylianos-Angelos Papathemelis and members of the I.A.O International Secretariat and Chairpersons of its Committees from Bulgaria, Greece, Jordan, Cyprus, Belarus, Uganda, Ukraine, and Russian Federation.
The issues discussed are as follows:
Α. Overview of the I.A.O’s 13th General Assembly. Reports by the I.A.O. Secretary General Mr. Stylianos-Angelos Papathemelis, and the President of the I.A.O. General Assembly Mr. Sergei Popov.
Β. Planning of the future activities of the International Secretariat and the I.A.O. Committees. Report by the I.A.O. Secretary General Mr. Stylianos-Angelos Papathemelis:
- Activities in Africa.
- Visit of an I.A.O delegation to Jordan.
- Enlargement of the I.A.O in Latin America.
- Meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the I.A.O member – states.
- Venue of the 14th I.A.O General Assembly.
- International Bioethics Conference.
The meeting was opened by the Secretary General with the overview of the 13th General Assembly in Venice. In reference to the I.A.O activities in Africa it was decided for an I.A.O working group to visit Johannesburg on April 2007 in order to meet with the 6 Orthodox members of Parliaments of the African Continent. Furthermore, it was decided to realise a meeting with the Orthodox members of Parliaments with Arab origin in Amman, Jordan on March 2007. During the visit in Amman, the I.A.O International Secretariat and the Chairpersons of its Committees will realise its regular meeting as well as a half-day conference with subject «The presence of Orthodox Christians in the region of Middle East and their contribution for peace making in the region».
The I.A.O members stressed the importance of the I.A.O enlargement in South America. The meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the I.A.O member – states will be held in Delphi, Greece on May 2007. In addition, it was decided that the 14th I.A.O General Assembly will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, 27-29 June 2007. Finally, it was decided to postpone the International Bioethics Conference for autumn 2007.
The I.A.O members had the opportunity to meet with the President of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Mr. Boris Gryzlov, the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Mr. Αlexandr Sokolov, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mr. Grigoriy Karasin. During these meetings the subject discussed was the participation of the I.A.O in the inter-religious dialogue and the parliamentary diplomacy.
During their stay in Moscow, the I.A.O members in co-operation with the Russian Academy of State Services held a half-day conference with subject: «Orthodoxy and Human Rights». All members of the International Secretariat, the Chairpersons of the I.A.O Committees, Russian academics and professors from the State University of Lomonosov as well as the Academy presented reports on the subject of the conference.
The half-day conference was followed by the presentation of the publication of the political conference with subject: “Nation – Religions, Orthodoxy and the New European Reality”.
