Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Andreas Katsaniotis held a telephone conversation with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, today, Monday, April 3, 2023. The telephone conversation took place on the occasion of Deputy Minister’s scheduled trip to Jerusalem, in order to participate, as head of the official Greek delegation, in the Holy Fire Ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on Holy Saturday, April 15, 2023.
During the conversation, the Deputy Minister reiterated the full and unequivocal support of the Greek State to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, underlining its strong interest in defending its privileges and rights, including property rights, the religious Status Quo, as well as safeguarding and promoting the Holy Sites in the Holy Land. He also expressed strong concern for the incidents of violence against Christian Holy Sites and, in particular, for the recent attack on the Holy Shrine of the Tomb of the Mother of God in Gethsemane. For his part, His Beatitude warmly thanked the Deputy Minister for the sincere and continued support of the Greek State.