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The Director-General meets His Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
The Director-General welcomed the Patriarch, recalling the previous visit of His Holiness Bartholomew I on 13 April 2011 and underlining that UNESCO will always remain as the House of peace and dialogue.
On 29 January 2014, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, met with His Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. His Eminence Metropolitan Irinaios of Myriophyton and Peristasis and His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France were among the officials who were present at the meeting.
鈥淵our visit today is yet another occasion for us to reiterate our shared commitment to the advancement of dialogue, mutual understanding and moral solidarity between cultures and peoples, including those of different faiths鈥, said Ms Irina Bokova.
The Director-General outlined the Organization鈥檚 leading role within the United Nations system for the implementation of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), to advance tolerance, respect and inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue and she recalled the recent encounter with the Board of Directors of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), which she hosted at UNESCO on 22 January.
鈥淒espite an unerring commitment among policy-makers and spiritual leaders to promoting dialogue between cultures and religions, misunderstandings still remain deep between societies and within them鈥, said the Director-General. 鈥淚n a profoundly changing world, we need to make the most of every opportunity to discuss global challenges and act together to support peace and international understanding鈥, she continued. 鈥淲e must also widen the boundaries of dialogue to make it a fully inclusive process鈥.
His Holiness Bartholomew I paid tribute to UNESCO鈥檚 efforts to promote the values of peace and international cooperation through education and culture. Commending the cordial relations existing between the Orthodox Christian Church and UNESCO, he mentioned the Organization鈥檚 role in combating ignorance through education and in protecting cultural monuments, including the sites of religious interest, 鈥渁ll places of worship should be respected and safeguarded as part of the common heritage of all humanity,鈥 declared the Patriarch. He spoke also about his global efforts to consolidate the bonds of unity and cooperation among Orthodox Christian churches as well as his various activities to facilitate inter-church and inter-faith dialogue worldwide.
