The Head of the delegation, Mileta Poskurica and delegation member Aleksandar Cotric informed Patriarch Irinej on the activities, goals, composition and importance of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy.
On the occasion, the delegation members said that the IAO is an international parliamentary organisation, founded in 1993, gathering Orthodox MPs from 26 states and stressed that Serbia has played an active role in its work since the very foundation.
They pointed out that the parliamentary forum is especially active on recognising the challenges faced by the Orthodox population in Kosovo-Metohija (which is also the title of the resolution the IAO adopted at its annual session in 2009) i.e. the importance of preserving the religious and cultural heritage of the Republic of Serbia in the Province.
Next year, the IAO marks its 20th anniversary and the General Assembly will take place from 26 June to 1 July 2013 in Athens. Parliament speakers and the heads of local Orthodox churches will be invited to the gathering.
The conversation at the meeting between the National Assembly delegation and the Patriarch also touched on the activities planned to take place in Serbia to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan.