Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos III met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Konstantinos Tasoulas during an official visit to Greece, where discussions focused on the situation of Christian communities in the Middle East, the status of holy sites in Jerusalem, and cooperation between the Greek state and the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

The centerpiece of the visit was a meeting at the prime minister’s residence, where Mitsotakis reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to protecting the Christian presence in the Holy Land and preserving the historic status quo of Jerusalem’s sacred sites.

According to Greek media reports, the prime minister expressed particular concern about the challenges facing Orthodox Christian communities amid ongoing instability across the Middle East. He also highlighted the significance of Patriarch Theophilos’ recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and expressed interest in the outcomes of those discussions.

The patriarch stated that Trump had emphasized the importance of safeguarding the Christian presence in the Middle East and maintaining the status quo in Jerusalem. According to Theophilos III, the U.S. president also conveyed greetings to the Greek leadership and expressed his intention to visit Greece during a future trip to the region.

A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Jerusalem Patriarchate and Greece’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture. The agreement provides for joint efforts to preserve, restore, and digitally catalogue church relics, manuscripts, and historical monuments under the Patriarchate’s stewardship.

Following the signing ceremony, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Patriarch Theophilos discussed restoration projects involving several historic sites, including the Metochion of the Holy Sepulchre in central Athens and a Byzantine church in the Ilia region that suffered damage during an earthquake.

During a separate meeting with President Konstantinos Tasoulas, both sides reaffirmed their intention to deepen cooperation. The president praised the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s role in preserving the Christian heritage of the Holy Land and supporting local communities affected by regional conflicts.

For his part, Theophilos III stressed that the Jerusalem Patriarchate today carries not only a spiritual responsibility but also an important humanitarian and diplomatic mission. He said that protecting holy sites and sustaining the Christian presence in the region remain among the Church’s most pressing priorities amid continuing crises across the Middle East.

The visit underscored the close historical ties between Greece and the Jerusalem Patriarchate, as well as shared concerns about the future of Christian communities and religious heritage in one of the world’s most volatile regions.