Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Sunday during an international summit for peace in Ukraine, held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.
The summit, attended by 101 leaders and government representatives, notably excluded Russia, with China not responding to the invitation.
During their meeting, Mitsotakis and Bartholomew discussed issues concerning the Ecumenical Patriarchate. They expressed satisfaction with the positive developments regarding the potential reopening of the Theological School of Halki, which has been closed by Turkish authorities since 1971. The closure of Halki Seminary has significantly impacted the education and training of clergy for the Greek Orthodox community in Turkey.
Mitsotakis informed Bartholomew of his plans to visit Istanbul soon to further discuss matters related to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek diaspora.
The meeting followed Mitsotakis' participation in the summit's first plenary session and a one-on-one meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. This discussion was in preparation for the EPP leaders' summit in Brussels, ahead of an informal EU leaders' dinner to address the European election results and key appointments.
Read more: International Peace Summit
