DECR vice-chairman meets with Swiss diplomats

On 6 November 2015, archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, met with Mr. Wolfgang Amadeus Brulhart, head of the Directorate for the Middle East and North Africa Affairs of the Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Gregorio Bernasconi, a staff member of the Directorate; and Mr. Patric Franzen, charge d’affairs a.i. of Switzerland to Russia. The DECR was also represented by Ms Olga Mazur of the Secretariat for far abroad countries.

The participants discussed the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, the problem of refugees fleeing to Europe from countries of the region, and the role of states, civil societies and religious communities in a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria.