Ecumenical Patriarch discusses Orthodox unity, diplomacy with Greek leaders

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios was in Athens on Monday for talks with President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said to have focused on the name talks between Athens and Skopje and the continued detention of two Greek soldiers by Turkey.

Tsipras thanked the visiting patriarch, whose base is in Istanbul, for his support in efforts to resolve differences with the Orthodox Church in Skopje, noting that a breakthrough in the name talks could create an environment of stability and cooperation in the region.

The patriarch, for his part, said that he was doing all he could within the regulations of the patriarchate to resolve differences and preserve unity and cooperation between Orthodox churches.

Earlier, in a televized exchange, Pavlopoulos expressed his support for the patriarch's initiatives to protect the environment as well as the latter's efforts to protect the unity of the Orthodox Church.