On July 2, 2024, a meeting was held online to prepare for the XIII meeting of the Joint Russian-Iranian Commission for Dialogue between Orthodoxy and Islam.
The event was attended by Dr. Ali Akbar Ziai, head of the Center for Interreligious Dialogue of the Organization for Culture and Islamic Relations of Iran, Masoud Ahmadvand, head of the Cultural Representation at the Iranian Embassy in Russia, as well as specialists from these organizations. On the part of the Moscow Patriarchate, with the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, the Secretary of the Department for Interreligious Relations, Priest Ilia Kashitsyn, participated in the meeting.
The participants of the meeting warmly greeted each other and noted the importance and relevance of the work of the Joint Commission, which has a history of more than a quarter of a century. The XII meeting of the Commission, which was held on February 21-22, 2023 in Moscow, was highly appreciated. The parties exchanged views on the results of the meeting and outlined ways to implement the agreements reached.
The participants of the meeting also discussed various aspects of preparations for the next meeting of the Joint Commission, scheduled to be held this year in the capital of Iran.
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The Joint Russian-Iranian Commission on Dialogue «Orthodoxy — Islam» was established in 1997. Its meetings were held in Tehran (in 1997, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018) and Moscow (in 1999, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2023). The commission's meetings addressed, among other issues, the place and role of religion in the modern world, intercivilizational, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, human rights, globalization, the problem of terrorism and extremism, spiritual and moral crisis in society; certain issues of Christian and Islamic theology and anthropology; the attitude of religions to the environment; the situation of religious minorities in the Middle East; the practice of social service of religious communities in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and post-pandemic times; the role of religion in the modern world; and the role of religion in the modern world.
EOCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
