Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church conducts talks with EU and NATO
21.06.2002 · English, Архив 2002
DELEGATION OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CONDUCTS TALKS WITH EU AND NATO
On 18-20 June 2002, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, conducted a series of talks with high-ranking EU and NATO representatives in Brussels. The delegation included DECR Vice-Chairman Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin; Rector of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Brussels Archpriest Pavel Nedosekin; DECR Acting Secretary for Church-State Relations Priest Antony Ilyin; Prof. A. Zubov and DECR staff member Igor Vyzhanov.
On June 18, the delegation met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo, Chief of the NATO Outreach Section Monique Tuffelli-Pierre, Director of the NATO Information and Press Bureau Jamie Patrick Shea and other NATO officials. The ROC delegation proposed to intensify the analysis of fundamental causes of conflicts both in Europe and in the whole world, as well as of the ways to reconciliation and prevention of these conflicts. The parties expressed their willingness to promote the formation of the pan-European security framework, which should regard interests, traditions and social structure of all European countries.
The situation in the Balkans was also touched upon. In particular, Metropolitan Kirill expressed his concern for the situation of Serbians in Kosovo, the destruction of regional Orthodox churches and sacred places and the increase of ethnic estrangement in the Balkans.
On June 19, the delegation met with Michael Wenniger, head of the Department for Dialogue with Religions and Humanism under the Group of political advisers of the Chairman of the European Commission; Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament W.G. van Velzen, a group of the European Parliament deputies and staff members of different EU structures. Along with the subjects touched upon by the Russian Orthodox Church representatives in Brussels on June 18-19, the prospects of coexistence of the different models of church-state relations were discussed. Metropolitan Kirill raised the question of the situation with people in the Kaliningrad region in connection with the EU expansion.
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