Archbishop Hilarion chairs a meeting on the preparation of the “International Law and Religious Traditions. Potential for Cooperation” seminar

On 21 January 2010, a meeting on the preparation of the “International Law and Religious Traditions. Potential for Cooperation” seminar took place at the Department for external church relations. The seminar is planned to be held in Hamburg next autumn.

Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for external church relations, chaired the meeting.

Taking part in the meeting were the president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace Rev. Dr. Hans Uko; the general secretary of the European Council of Religious Leaders Vebjorn Horsfjord, the director of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation-Europe Natalia Narochnitskaya, the DECR deputy chairman hieromonk Philipp (Ryabykh), and DECR staff member Vakhtang Kipshidze and Alexander Baranov.

The DECR chairman underscored the importance of the development of the dialogue between religious communities and the Council of Europe institutes. This dialogue should promote a contribution of religions in the shaping of international legal standards. He believes the seminar should offer a new approach to the solution of problems of human rights in Europe.

Discussed were a concept of the seminar, a list of participants, and other organizational issues.