Archbishop George of Cyprus called for strengthening diplomatic dialogue with the Vatican

Archbishop George, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, has proposed an initiative to strengthen cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church. According to him, cooperation with the Vatican is necessary to protect the interests of the Republic of Cyprus on the international stage and to break the deadlock in the Cyprus issue. This initiative is purely pragmatic and diplomatic in nature.

The archbishop emphasized that previous foreign policy approaches have not yielded the desired results; therefore, drawing on the diplomatic resources of the Holy See—which has an extensive network of nuncios around the world—could serve as an effective tool for supporting the country. The head of the Church of Cyprus specifically noted that such contacts do not imply any doctrinal concessions or joint worship services. “We have made no concessions and have not participated in any joint services,” the hierarch stated, explaining that the primary goal of the dialogue is to explore the common Christian heritage of the first millennium.

In his address, Archbishop George also condemned manifestations of religious fanaticism. He called on the Christian community to unite in the face of contemporary global challenges, emphasizing the need for joint efforts to protect the Christian population and cultural heritage sites in the Middle East, while maintaining strict fidelity to their own doctrinal positions.