Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Đurić met with Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem on the second day of his visit to Israel.
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Gratitude for Patriarch Theophilos III’s support for Serbian people
Belgrade/Jerusalem,
20 February 2025
Đurić emphasised that he is honoured to have the opportunity to speak with Patriarch Theophilos III in the holy city of Jerusalem, having conveyed to him the greetings of Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia.
The head of Serbian diplomacy thanked Patriarch Theophilos III for the understanding and support he provides to the Serbian people, while also thanking the Patriarchate of Jerusalem for everything it does in terms of protecting all Christian communities, their members and sacred sites.
He recalled that throughout history, Serbs have been very present among pilgrims, and that Serbian monarchs were founders and donors of temples in the Holy Land.
A special place among them, as Đurić pointed out, belongs to the Monastery of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel in the Old City of Jerusalem, part of which was restored and built by King Milutin.
The head of Serbian diplomacy informed his interlocutor about the situation faced by the Serbian Orthodox Church, its clergy and believers in Kosovo and Metohija, and expressed particular concern over the data that in the last 20 years, around 150 churches, monasteries and other buildings have been destroyed, damaged and desecrated in the province, and that four Serbian medieval sacral buildings in Kosovo and Metohija are on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.
He said that he shares the concern for the difficult situation of Christians in the Middle East, which has been further aggravated by the current conflict, and reiterated the readiness of the Serbian people and the state of Serbia to provide any kind of assistance, adding that peace will come to this region based on the dialogue of Abraham’s peoples – Jews, Christians and Muslims, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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