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The contacts of the mission of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy (IPA), led by MP Panicos Leonidou, head of the Cypriot delegation to the Assembly, were completed yesterday in Vienna. The delegation was accompanied by the IOA Councillor Mr. Costas Mugdalis and the Assembly's liaison with the Catholic world Mr. Virgilio Avato.
The IOA delegation had a meeting with the Catholic Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, which was also attended by MEP Mr. Lukas Mandl and other officials of the International Catholic Lawyers Network (ICLN).
During the meeting, Mr Leonidou said that the visit of the IOA delegation to Vienna is aimed at further strengthening the cooperation between the IOA and the ICLN. There was an exchange of views on critical policy issues affecting contemporary societies, such as religious freedom, human rights and church-state relations, in the context of the dialogue between Christian denominations. Mr Leonidou pointed out that since the announcement of the launch of the Dialogue on the Future of Europe, the IOA has taken a clear position, asking the European institutions for the widest possible participation of inter-parliamentary organisations and civil society actors, with a view to imbuing politics with Christian principles and values.
Referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Leonidou stressed that the IOA had from the outset placed Ukraine at the heart of the issues of concern to the Assembly, highlighting in every appropriate way the need to resolve the conflict and using all available means of parliamentary diplomacy and mediation to consolidate peace and security in the region.
The IOA delegation also had a meeting with the Orthodox Bishop of Austria and Archbishop of Hungary and Mesopotamia, Mr. Arsenius, during which views were exchanged on ways to further strengthen cooperation between the IOA and the Metropolis through activities in the countries under its jurisdiction. The Cypriot MP thanked Metropolitan Arsenios for hosting the presentation of the IOA's tribute book "Saint Sophia: The Temples of the Wisdom of God around the World", last Tuesday in Budapest.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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