“I am very pleased and moved to be meeting today with His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. I would like to convey the warm greetings and respects of the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has already conveyed his condolences, as have I, for the unfortunate passing of the Patriarch’s associate. I would also like to express my best wishes and congratulate him on his 30 years on the Ecumenical Throne and, if I am not mistaken, his 60 years of priesthood. May God support and bless his effort in the leadership of Orthodoxy. Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a very strong interest in the Patriarch's initiatives on especially sensitive issues, such as environmental protection, on which the Ecumenical Throne is very active globally. So, I will have the opportunity to talk to him about issues that concern Orthodoxy, the Greek community here in Istanbul, and other matters of shared interest. As I always say, it is a great pleasure and honour to be meeting once again with the Ecumenical Patriarch. Thank you very much, Your All Holiness, for giving me this opportunity.
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