LAST UPDATE NOVEMBER 17, 21:36
Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantinos Vlasis participated in the online ministerial conference on religious freedom.
During the conference Konstantinos Vlasis briefed his interlocutors on issues related to Greece and Orthodoxy with special references to Hagia Sophia, the Chora Church, the Theological School of Halki and the protection of the Patriarchates.
Particularly, in his speech, according to a statement by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vlasis referred to the importance that Greece gives to the protection of religious freedoms, as an essential component for the peaceful coexistence of peoples, the promotion of international security and ensuring prosperity and development of the societies, as included in United Nations Agenda 2030.
Vlasis then referred to the important role played by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem in the region of North Africa and the Middle East respectively, for the preservation of religious and cultural diversity. He did not fail to point out, as noted, that Christian populations in these areas are still facing persecution, which does not allow complacency.
He also made special reference to Turkey’s behavior in matters of respect for religious freedom and expression. Initially, as announced, he noted Turkey’s insistence not to accept the Ecumenism of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, while at the same time he repeated the constant request for the reopening of the Theological School of Halki.
Finally, the Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the obligation of Turkey, as a founding member of the United Nations Alliance of Cultures, to respect and not to alter the ecumenical character of Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church, World Heritage Sites, which have recently been converted into places of Muslim worship, violating – inter alia – the obligation to provide prior information and consultation with UNESCO. At the same time, Greece, fully respecting the right to free expression and religion, inaugurated the operation of the Athens Mosque, a move of strong symbolism, which proves in practice our country’s will to strongly defend the right to religious freedom.
Συμμετείχα στη διαδικτυακή διάσκεψη της «Συμμαχίας για την Προώθηση της Θρησκευτικής Ελευθερίας» που αποτελεί πρωτοβουλία του Αμερικανού ΥπΕξ κ.Pompeo, ο οποίος σήμερα έκανε μια κίνηση υψηλού συμβολισμού συναντώντας τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη στο Φανάρι.
▶️https://t.co/NPlzSQiY1j pic.twitter.com/q5XVUTbFrM
— Kostas Vlasis (@KostasVlasis) November 17, 2020
