The ‘Presidium’ of the Conference of the European Churches (KEK), representing 126 churches of Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic tradition from all the countries of Europe, met in Athens from 26 February to 2 March. The meeting, held at the invitation of the Orthodox archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Christodoulos, was devoted to the Iraqi crisis and more generally to the situation in the Middle East. At the end of the meeting, a document was unanimously voted which “approves the declaration of the European and American religious leaders published in Berlin on 5 February and condemns a preventive attack on Iraq”. In the course of the meeting in Greece continues the resolution “the Presidium of KEK showed its appreciation for the initiative taken by the Greek Presidency of the EU to develop a common external and security policy within the European Union, with particular regard to the Iraqi crisis”. Nor is the situation in the Middle East forgotten in the document: “a solution under the auspices of the United Nations” is urged. The Presidium also “deplores all attempts to justify such a war with religious arguments. On the contrary, at the beginning of Lent it invites all Christians to intensify prayers and efforts to defend peace”. KEK’s efforts for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis were then transferred to Moscow where a mixed delegation of European and American religious exponents met with “senior representatives of the Russian government” on 4-5 March. “We registered – said Keith Clements, general secretary of KEK the common conviction that the UN weapons inspections can and must continue to achieve their goal and that a preventive war against Iraq would not only cause a serious humanitarian crisis, but would also have incalculable consequences for the whole region. We hope that Russian President Putin, who boasts of a personal friendship with Bush, may contribute to a positive solution of the crisis”.
