We, the Representatives of the Orthodox Churches who participate in the works of the Panorthodox Preparatory Committee for the the Synaxis of the Primates, who will come together in Constantinople this coming October, express our astonishment for the inaccuracies of the Statement of the Press Office of the Department of Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, with regards to the withdrawal of the delegation of the Church of Russia from the works of this Committee.

The events did not take place, as they have been described in the aforementioned Statement. All the representatives have expressed their sadness for the decision of the Russian delegation to walk out, and invited them to remain at this meeting, stating that the Estonian problem will not be resolved in Rhodes, but with the negotiations between the two Patriarchates, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Moscow.

Moreover, the President called upon the delegation of the Patriarchate of Moscow to state, whether their presence in the Preparatory Meeting in Rhodes means that the Patriarchate of Moscow has changed its position and will participate in the Synaxis of the Primates that will take place this coming October, otherwise they can remain as observers. Instead, they decided that it was better for them to walk out. We are saddened by this attempted distortion of these events.

Rhodes, 20 June 2008