Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reaffirmed Greece’s support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople during a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Maximos Mansion in Athens.
Congratulating Bartholomew on the 35th anniversary of his enthronement, Mitsotakis said the Greek state would continue to stand by both the patriarchate and the patriarch personally in support of his work.
The prime minister said their discussions focused on the protection of Orthodox Christian communities in the Middle East and efforts to reopen the Halki Theological School.
Bartholomew, conveying greetings from the Greek community in Istanbul, said he had recently spoken with the Patriarch of Antioch about the challenges facing dwindling Christian populations in Syria and Lebanon.
The patriarch also announced plans to visit his native Imvros (Imbros) – a northern Aegean island in Turkey with a Greek minority – next month alongside the patriarchs of Romania and Bulgaria to strengthen ties and discuss shared concerns.