The importance of dialogue as a means of resolving problems was highlighted by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew yesterday in his official speech at the opening of the World Policy Conference held in Abu Dhabi.
Addressing the large audience in French, he described the current state of international concern and called for solidarity, openness, responsibility and joint action.
He also referred to many inter-Christian and inter-religious meetings in the recent past while stressing the importance of religion for the peaceful coexistence of peoples and nations, strongly scolding incidents of religious fanaticism and intolerance.
Later in the day, the Ecumenical Patriarch, accompanied by Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Patriarchal Deacon Barnabas Grigoriadis, met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the United Arab Emirates Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with whom he had a particularly cordial conversation as they have known each other for a long time.
Speech of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew starts at 9.53.30