A memorandum of cooperation between the Greek government and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem is being submitted to the Hellenic Parliament for ratification, with a vote expected next week.
The memorandum, concluded between the Greek Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, concerns the protection and conservation of the Patriarchate’s material cultural heritage.
The agreement was signed in June during the visit of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem to Athens.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the agreement as significant, saying that it demonstrates in practice the Greek state’s commitment to protecting the Patriarchate’s cultural heritage, which, he stressed, “must be protected, preserved and handed down intact to future generations.”
During his visit to Athens, Patriarch Theophilos III described the signing of the memorandum as a historic moment for the Patriarchate.
He said the agreement “demonstrates in practice the relationship between the Patriarchate and Greece,” adding that Greece “was and remains the nurturing mother of all clergy serving in the diaspora, and particularly those serving at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.”
Two agreements falling under the responsibility of Greece’s Ministry of National Defence are also expected to be submitted to Parliament. They concern cooperation with NATO on ballistic missile defence capabilities and a technical arrangement between the Greek and German defence ministries relating to participation in a multinational tactical firing exercise at the NATO Missile Firing Installation in Crete.
Source: ANA-MPA, translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
