Budapest, March 4, 2014
During the two-day visit of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to Hungary on March 2-3, he met with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. A cooperation agreement between the Hungarian Republic and the Patriarchate of Constantinople was signed. The head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was accompanied during his visit to Hungary by Metropolitan Emmanuel of France.
On March 3, Patriarch Bartholomew gave a lecture at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. After that the Patriarch had a meeting with members of the Greek Diaspora, followed by a short program of performances by high school students of Greek origin living in Hungary, prepared by Fr. Joseph Kalota, the representative of the exarchate in Budapest.
At the meeting, not only were centuries old ties between the Hungarians and the Greeks (beginning from the period of rule of the dynasty of Arpad) discussed, but also current problems of the Greek community. Among the issues raised was the transfer to the Greeks of a church belonging at the present time to the Patriarchate of Moscow, reports the Amen agency.
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