US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross visited today the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Phanar on Sunday, September 8, 2019.
US Secretary of Commerce was accompanied by his spouse, the new US Ambassador to Ankara, David Satterfield, as well as Commerce Department officials and US government officials.
The US Secretary was welcomed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The two sides had a long discussion on the issues related to the initiatives of the Mother Church of Constantinople, the Diaspora, and the Orthodox faithful in Turkey as well as the utilization of the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage.
They also discussed issues related to the Orthodoxy in the US on the recent election of the new Archbishop of America as well as the initiatives of the Mother Church in inter-Christian and interfaith dialogue and its efforts to raise public awareness with regard to the protection of the natural environment.