The ceremonial session held at the National Assembly House, opened the 16^th Annual General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy held in Belgrade from 24 to 28 June 2009, and hosted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

The IAO President and member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Sergei Popov, addressed the delegation members, deputies and representatives of the orthodox church present, stating that the gathering provides the voice of orthodoxy and the voice of all Christians with the opportunity to be heard. Popov announced that the General Assembly shall discuss the response to the global economic crisis from a Christian viewpoint, as well as consider the status of the orthodox population of Kosovo-Metohija, stressing that the upcoming commemoration of the 620^th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, on 28 June, is the opportunity to show support and restate the orthodox position on Kosovo-Metohija.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic addressed the guests as the host of the gathering, expressing her belief that the Assembly will provide the opportunity to share productive experiences and deepen the cooperation between the parliaments of member states. The Assembly Speaker stressed how tragic it is that some people feel only their own need for freedom, which can best be seen in Kosovo-Metohija where men have demeaned themselves by hating others, different from them. “We believe that orthodox optimism, as well as the perseverance, patience and constancy of the Serbian people and all the citizens of Serbia, can be a good chance to resolve the problem. That should prompt the international community to create new and better opportunities which, of course, always exist, even in Kosovo-Metohija. Our spirituality, as modern language would have it, cultivates tolerance, dialogue and compromise, much needed in both parliamentary practice and life”, Djukic-Dejanovic concluded.

In the continuation of the ceremonial session, Bishop Irinej of Backa read the greeting message of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and conveyed the blessings of the Serbian Patriarch Pavle and Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral. In his greeting message, the Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia Kyril stressed that peace and stability in the world have been impaired due to the attitude towards Kosovo-Metohija whose suffering is becoming a serious threat for the whole mankind.

The messages of the President of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Boris Gryzlov and the President of the Hellenic Parliament Dimitrios Sioufas were also read at the inaugural ceremony. The participants of the gathering were also addressed by the Secretaries General of IAO Alexei Pavlidas and Interparliamentary Assembly Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States Michail Krotov who stressed that the gathering aims to clarify the position of orthodoxy towards issues of international importance.

The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy was in session on 25 and 26 June 2009 at the Palace of Serbia. The main topic of this year’s 16^th General Assembly was “The Global Economic Crisis and its impact on Social – Spiritual – Cultural European tradition. The Role of Orthodoxy”. The Assembly also considered the challenges faced by the orthodox population of Kosovo-Metohija, and adopted a RESOLUTION on it.