A joint international commission on dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, which began in Vienna on Tuesday, will discuss the Pope's primacy in the first millennium. "This is the most complicated subject in the dialogue between the Orthodox and the Catholics, because the attitude toward the bishop of Rome's ministering is key for the modern Catholic Church," Hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh) representing the Russian Orthodox Church at the session told Interfax. The presumption that the Pope has ecumenical jurisdiction goes against Orthodox ecclesiology, which teaches that, while the Orthodox Church preserves unity of faith and church governance, it still consists of several local churches, Father Philipp said, who is a deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations. The Vienna session continues the discussion that was started in Cyprus in 2009. "A draft document was drawn up for the commission's session last year, and the commission started to consider it but did not finish this process, as the Orthodox had a lot of objections to this text. We expect that the discussion in Vienna on the text of this document will also be quite intensive," he said. "Our delegation's goal is to make sure that this document reflects the Orthodox position and rules out any ambiguities, compromises and wrong interpretations of the patristic views on the bishop of Rome's ministering," the priest said. While it is difficult to reach a consensus on this issue, "this theme should be discussed," because "this is what separates the Catholics and the Orthodox above all," he said. "It needs to be said that the Catholics did not agree to discuss this issue with the Orthodox [Church] for a long time, knowing how radical differences in its interpretation are. The fact that the late Pope John Paul II and then Pope Benedict XVI agreed that this issue be discussed by the commission is quite a benevolent step on the part of the Catholics toward the Orthodox [Church]," he said.
President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias stated on Monday that things do not fare better than last year as far as progress in the Cyprus problem is concerned. On Monday, President Christofias hosted a luncheon for the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to brief them about the latest developments in the UN led negotiations for a Cyprus settlement, a process which began in September 2008 between President Christofias and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. President Chrisofias told the ambassadors that Turkey's positions and those presented by Dervis Eroglu (Turkish Cypriot leader) at the talks and their refusal to accept his constructive proposal do not leave much room for optimism about the prospect of a solution by the end of the year. The proposals provide for linking the property issue with the territorial issue, the opening of the Turkish occupied Famagusta port in exchange for opening more EU accession chapters for Turkey and the convening of an international conference once agreement on the internal aspects of the Cyprus question is in sight. The president said that he reiterated his position on the subject of an international conference on the Cyprus problem that more progress needs to be achieved on the internal aspects of the problem before convening such a meeting, adding that the ambassadors showed understanding on that point and stressed the need to maintain the Cypriot ownership of the talks whilst at the same time accepting the position that no solution should be imposed by outsiders. "Certain people may have a different opinion as far as Turkey's readiness to see a solution emerge by the end of the year", he pointed out, adding that he has made it clear that Turkey's own actions do not follow up on its rhetoric, which serves only communication purposes and aims to avoid taking real responsibility for its role in the Cyprus problem. The president also informed them of his wish to have the opportunity to talk face to face with the Turkish leaders, adding that this is not an alternative to the ongoing talks. Talks will continue under the aegis of the UN S.G., he said, noting however that he would like to meet with Turkey's leaders so that he can communicate to them his vision for the solution of the Cyprus problem, which also concerns Turkey and affects its interests. There is no reason for anyone to object to this request, he said, stressing that a refusal would be unacceptable considering that the Republic of Cyprus is a member of the UN since its establishment, is also a full member of the EU, adding at the same time that a non permanent member of the UN Security Council does not have the right to ignore the Republic of Cyprus. On Monday President Christofias also met with Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, Illinois State Minister of Finance and US Senate candidate Alexis Giannoulias, and attended a reception hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Kosovo Ministry official Oliver Ivanović says the EU has received a mandate from the UN secretary-general to work on the Belgrade-Priština dialogue. This happened "given that this issue is of Europe's interest", said Ivanović. "The stability of Europe and this part of the Balkans mostly depends on whether the dialogue will be launched," Ivanović told state broadcaster RTS in Belgrade on Wednesday. He added that such a dialogue was needed, and that it was most important to determine the form in which it will be realized. "What is important for Serbia is UN Security Council Resolution 1244 since it provides a neutral political framework and does not prejudge the final solution, and as such leaves much more space than if the issue were under the sole mandate of the EU," said he. Ivanović said that the topic of the talks should not be controversial and thus make the two parties confront in the very start, adding that it is irrefutable that different stands will be taken regarding the key issues. He believes that it should not be a problem to set the issue of the missing and kidnapped as the first topic, given that this is a humanitarian issue which seems to be important for both parties.
IV. ANA - Papandreou-Biden meeting in D.C.
Prime Minister George Papandreou met with US Vice Presidsent Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday. In welcoming the Greek prime minister, Biden praised Papandreou for the "excellent work he is doing in the handling of the economic crisis and, God willing, he will put his country on the right path again." Speaking to reporters afterwards, the Greek prime minister said his talks with Biden covered a wide range of issues, such as the global economic crisis, the Middle East issue, the Cyprus problem as well as the fYRoM "name issue". Papandreou added that he briefed the US vice president on Greece's initiatives regarding the wider region's problems and highlighted Athens' volition and positive contribution in resolving these problems.
V. EURONEWS - War would have "no limits", Iran leader warns U.S.
The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned that if the US starts a war against Iran it will – in his words – have “no limits”. He was speaking to American media representatives before his appearance at the UN Development Goals summit in New York. The Iranian leader chided the US, saying it had never known nor won a serious war. He also reportedly warned Washington not to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs. On the dispute over the country’s nuclear programme, Ahmadinejad said that Iran was ready for negotiations. The US has accused Iran of using its nuclear energy programme as a cover for seeking to develop nuclear weapons, something Tehran repeatedly denies. The UN has put sanctions on the country. Iran has also taken delivery of a new series of Fateh medium-range missiles, part of the Republic’s general plan to bolster its military might. The domestically-produced missiles are said to have a quicker launch time and longer range than previous models.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree Wednesday banning all sales of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran. Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the sophisticated systems that could boost Iran's ability to defend against air strikes. Israel and the United States have objected to the deal, and no such missiles have been delivered yet. Medvedev's decree also prohibited exports of tanks, aircraft and sea vessels to Iran. Russia has recently has shown increasing frustration with Iran's policies. It has said United Nations sanctions would prevent it from delivering the S-300s to Iran. The S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft and missiles at ranges of over 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters). In Washington, the White House issued a statement welcoming the executive order signed by Medvedev. "We believe President Medvedev has demonstrated leadership on holding Iran accountable to its international obligations from start to finish," said Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the National Security Council.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged NATO and Russia on Wednesday to expand cooperation in areas such as missile defense, military doctrines, narcotics control, and conventional arms limits in Europe. But Clinton rejected a Russian initiative for a new security architecture in Europe proposed by President Dmitry Medvedev last year. "We believe that the best way to achieve this is by reinforcing the pillars that have supported European security for decades, not by negotiating new treaties, as Russia has suggested," she said. Clinton was addressing a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, a panel formed in 2004 to improve ties between the former Cold War rivals. Foreign ministers of all 28 NATO nations attended the meeting, along with their Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Relations between NATO and Moscow hit a post-Cold War low after the Russo-Georgian war two years ago. But they have improved significantly since President Barack Obama announced a "reset" of U.S.-Russia ties. The meeting on Wednesday was intended to prepare the groundwork for a NATO-Russia summit on Nov. 20 in Lisbon, Portugal. "This summit offers an opportunity for us to take a fresh look at the security challenges that all our countries face, reflect on what our cooperation has already achieved, and begin to chart a common course of action for the next decade," Clinton said. She said the focus should be on addressing specific issues such as resuming missile defense exercises and linking NATO's and Russia's early warning radar systems, agreeing on a joint counter-narcotics strategy, updating the European conventional arms treaty, and enhancing military transparency between the alliance and Moscow. NATO's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen described Wednesday's meeting as "very positive and a reflection of the substantive progress we have made in our relationship in the last 12-14 months." He said a joint review of 21st Century threats would focus on Afghanistan, cooperation in combatting terrorism and maritime piracy, and on an anti-missile system that would protect North America, Europe and Russia. "The future of Russia lies in cooperation with the European Union and NATO," Fogh Rasmussen said. "It makes sense from an economic point of view and from a security point of view."