Romania Chairs Orthodox Assembly

The 32nd annual session of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) opened Tuesday at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, marking the first time Romania holds the organization’s presidency, led by MP Ioan Vulpescu, CE Report quotes Agerpres

This year's assembly carries special significance, commemorating 140 years since the Romanian Orthodox Church’s autocephaly and 100 years since it was declared a Patriarchate. The central theme, “Cooperation of Parliamentary and Religious Institutions in Developing Directions for the Use of Artificial Intelligence,” highlights the growing need to align technological progress with spiritual and ethical values.

Delegations from 15 countries—including Greece, Egypt, Armenia, and Serbia—gathered for international dialogue on AI, tradition, and peacebuilding. Vulpescu emphasized Orthodoxy's unifying role in times of division and urged collaboration between political and religious spheres, invoking the legacy of Emperor Constantine.

IAO Secretary General Maximos Charakopoulos praised Romania’s historical role in Greco-Roman and Orthodox civilization, calling for the preservation of shared cultural values. Dignitaries, religious leaders, diplomats, and former President Emil Constantinescu also attended the ceremony.