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      On the morning of 16th September 2010, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa went to the Archdiocesan Mansion of C yprus together with the Patriarchs of Antioch Ignatios and Jerusalem Theofilos where they were welcomed by His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus.

      Following brief prayers the four Primates together with their entourages, met in the private office of the Archbishop of Cyprus. Presiding over the meeting was the Alexandrian Primate who, in his brief greeting thanked the Archbishop of Cyprus for his initiative in convening this meeting, congratulated him on the drawing up and approval of the new constitution of the Church of Cyprus, made mention of the Cypriot problem emphasizing the need for an immediate, viable and just solution and to the efforts of all Orthodox Primates to sensitize world leaders and governments to this issue. Greetings were also offered by the other Primates.

      The topics discussed at the meeting which followed were the crisis which the Middle East Council of Churches is facing, in which all four of the Churches participate as members and whose Chairman of the Orthodox family is the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the ways in which the council can overcome the problems so that it can continue its journey and effort in the sensitive are of the Middle East, and the problems which the Christians in the area face. Many proposals were made especially by the Archbishop of Cyprus, which were unanimously accepted and then thanks were given and commitments made for continuation of meetings so that the voice and presence of Orthodoxy in the area may be strong and alive, united and prepared to face the challenges of our times.

      Finally, the following announcement was drawn up and made public, read to the media by the Archbishop of Cyprus in the presence of the three Primates. A lunch followed in the Archdiocese.


ANNOUNCEMENT

     The Primates of the three Ancient Patriarchates, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, Their Beatitudes Theodoros, Ignatios and Theofilos, met in Cyprus on the initiative and at the invitation of His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus and discussed amongst themselves the ways and particularly the measures towards solutions of the problems and surpassing the crisis of the Middle East Council of Churches, in order that it can continue to worthily fulfil the aims of its establishment, in other words the support of Christians in Jerusalem, in Palestine and the broader Middle East, as well as their peaceful coexistence and cohabitation with the peoples of the area and the prevalence of a just peaceful solution in the Middle East, Jerusalem, the Holy land and the tormented island of Cyprus. The Primates had a private meeting to discuss the central issue of the situation of the Christians in the Middle East.