The spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians met with President Obama on Tuesday and raised the issue of climate change, following up on a conversation they had engaged in during the president’s visit to Turkey. “The President with his kindness and openness received me and my delegation with love and honor,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the press as he was exiting the White House. During the more than half an hour meeting, Bartholomew talked about climate change and commended the president for his initiatives, urging him for an even more intensive campaign on behalf of ecological responsibility. Obama, in return, thanked the Orthodox leader for his moral and ethical leadership for all the world’s faith communities in responding to environmental concerns. Bartholomew, known to many as the “green patriarch,” has gained a reputation as a prominent environmentalist, putting the support of the patriarchate behind various international environmental causes. In a speech delivered later that day at Georgetown University, Bartholomew said each "crime against the natural world" is a sin and that people must ask God to forgive them for causing harm to His creation. “For humans to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation… for humans to degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands… for humans to injure other humans with disease… for humans to contaminate the Earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances… these are sins,” he stated. Near the close of Bartholomew's meeting with the president, Obama reportedly stressed his appreciation for the unique role of the Ecumenical Patriarch as the leader of the Orthodox Christian world, and the unique character of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as an institution.
Momentum in Greek-Turkish relations appears to be building following Prime Minister George Papandreou’s visit to Istanbul in the first days of his premiership, as it emerged yesterday that his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent him a letter calling for a strengthening of ties between the two countries. The new Turkish ambassador to Athens, Mehmet Hasan Gogus, handed the letter to Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas on Tuesday. The Greek government has made no official statement on the content of the letter, as diplomatic protocol dictates that the sender reveals the details. However, reports in Turkey have suggested that Erdogan said he wants to improve relations with Greece in all areas and consequently put forward some suggestions about ways in which the two countries could cooperate. Diplomatic sources said it was too early to evaluate this move by Erdogan, which is being seen as a response to Papandreou’s decision to hold talks with Turkish officials just a few days after coming to power. It is expected that Papandreou will respond to the letter in the next few days. During a visit to Athens yesterday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he will press ahead with efforts to reach a reunification deal on Cyprus, one of the main stumbling blocks in Greek-Turkish relations. “The UN has high expectations for a settlement and I believe this momentum must be maintained,” said Ban before talks with Papandreou. “My Cyprus envoy Mr Alexander Downer will continue to talk with the leaders of the two communities.” Ban also met with President Karolos Papoulias, who insisted that “no solution [on Cyprus] can be found without putting an end to the consequences of the [Turkish] invasion and occupation.”
An announcement by a UN Secretariat spokesman on Wednesday said that (UN mediator on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (fYRoM) name) Matthew Nimetz has proposed a new meeting with the representatives of Greece and fYRoM, during the week beginning on November 16. The announcement said that during statements made to the press on Wednesday by the Secretary General and the Greek prime minister in Athens, the Secretary General noted that his personal envoy on talks between Greece and fYRoM, Matthew Nimetz, is willing for the talks to resume as soon as both sides are ready. It was further pointed out that the Secretary General mentioned that it is an encouraging fact that the Greek prime minister told him that "Greece is ready" and "will fully support" the "continuous facilitating role" of Nimetz. The announcement also stressed that Nimetz mentioned that he is in contact with the sides and has proposed the holding of a meeting in New York during the week beginning as of November 16.
The chairman of Georgia's opposition Labor Party is in Washington to discuss Georgian-U.S.-Russian relations and the recognition of Kosovo and Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, RFE/RL's Georgian and Russian services report. Labor Party Secretary-General Joseph Shatberashvili told RFE/RL that the main goal of Shalva Natelashvili's visit to Washington is "to start a dialogue with Moscow and Washington” on Moscow’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and Washington’s recognition of Kosovo. Shatberashvili says that Labor Party leaders believe that if Washington would revoke its recognition of Kosovo's independence it would cause Russia to reconsider its decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Shatberashvili did not specify with whom Natelashvili is scheduled to meet in Washington. Shatberashvili said that after the talks in the United States, Natelashvili -- who is known as one of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's "most consistent critics" -- will travel to Moscow to hold similar talks with Russian officials. Moscow recognized the Georgian republics as independent countries after a brief war with Georgia in August 2008.
A decision on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to NATO is up to that country’s people to make, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference in Sarajevo. However, he added, this should be preceded by the closing of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lavrov added. “I have congratulated Bosnia and Herzegovina on the election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Bosnia and Herzegovina will vote independently. I hope it will make sovereign decisions rather than wait for approval from higher representatives,” the Russian Foreign Minister said. The Presidium of Bosnia and Herzegovina unanimously voted for the country’s accession to NATO, according to Bosnian Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj. He said there is no alternative to integration into NATO and 75% of the country’s population support this, he noted.
A cat in Iowa has tested positive for H1N1 swine flu, the first time a cat has been diagnosed with the new pandemic strain, the American Veterinary Medical Association said on Wednesday. The 13-year-old cat apparently caught the virus from one of the people living in the house, the group said in a statement. It has recovered and does not appear to have infected anyone or anything else. Pigs are the original source of the H1N1 virus and it has been found in several herds, as well as in a pet ferret. Ferrets are especially susceptible to human influenza viruses. "Two of the three members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat became ill," Iowa Department of Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Ann Garvey said in a statement. "This is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past." Both the cat and its owners have recovered from their illnesses.
A Coptic Christian blogger in Egypt entering his second year of prison without charge is being pressured to convert to Islam in exchange for his freedom, his attorneys said. On Oct. 3, 2008, Hani Nazeer, a 28-year-old high school social worker from Qena, Egypt and author of the blog “Karz El Hob” (“Love Cherries”), was arrested by Egypt’s State Security Investigations (SSI) and sent to Burj Al-Arab prison. Although police never charged him with any crime, Nazeer has been detained for more than a year under Egypt’s administrative imprisonment law. Gamel Eid, executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), the group representing Nazeer, said Nazeer was arrested unfairly and now is being coerced to abandon his faith. complains about that, it happened, and it’s true,” said Eid. “But the police do it in a subtle way. They do it by inspiring the inmates to suggest to Nazeer that if he converts to Islam, police will work to get him out of prison.” Nazeer is confined in what is commonly known as the “general population” area of the prison, meaning he is housed with both violent and non-violent felons. Nazeer told his attorneys he is often treated harshly. Despite this, Eid said Nazeer is constant in his faith.