ECUMENISM AND DIALOGUE
The extension of the EU, the role of the Churches in the European project, migration and ethic values. These were the issues addressed by a delegation of the European Churches that on June 30th met Erkki Tuomioja, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the country that is the president of the European Union for the next six months. The delegation was led by Jukka Paarma, archbishop of Turku and leader of the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Finland, the metropolitan bishop of Finland, Ambrosius, Rüdiger Noll, director of the Church and Society Commission of the Kek, William Kenney, auxiliary bishop of Stockholm and member of Comece, the latter also represented by its secretary general Noel Treanor. About the extension of the EU, the Finnish minister said that the future negotiations with the Balkan countries and Turkey will be based on the Copenhagen criteria. As to Turkey, the Churches insisted on the importance of respecting the political criteria, especially as far as human rights and religious freedom are concerned. In addition, the delegation insisted on the need to develop a migration policy based on the respect of the human person and to tackle the anthropological, political and ethical issues that have been raised by the 7th EU Framework Research Program. The Minister confirmed he will keep regular contacts with the Churches during the six months’ period that has just begun.
