The Council of the Presidency of the Inter-Religious Council of Albania the next meeting was held on April 16 of 2019, the first meeting for 2019.
In this meeting, participated the five leaders of the religious communities in the country, CO-Head of IRCA, the Chairman of the Interreligious Council, Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos, and the head of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, H. Bujar Spahiu, the Head of the Muslim Community of Albania, Mons. George Frendo, Head of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Albania, H. Dede Edmond Brahimaj, Head of the Bektashi World Headquarters and Pastor Ylli Doci, President of the Evangelical Brotherhood of Albania.
The interfaith meeting was held at the Synod Center of the Orthodox Church and was opened by Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos, who this year also has the next presidency of the IRCA, His Holiness thanked all the participants for participating in this meeting. He welcomed all the participants, and in particular, the new Head of Muslim Community of Albania H. Bujar Spahiu, for his post-electoral election at Muslim Community of Albania, as the new chairman of this institution, as well as for his presence in this meeting as a member of the Council of the Presidency.
Also, the head of the IRCA, like all leaders of religious communities, have also estimated the contribution of the previous Chairman of Muslim Community of Albania H. Skender Bruçaj and his contribution to the Interfaith Council of Albania and the interreligious dialogue during his leadership.
Then the meeting continued on the agenda, which was presented by the General Secretary of the Interreligious Council Dr. Genti Kruja, who made an overview of IRCA’s work in the last six months (October 2018-April 2019) the work that has been completed, such as the completion of official procedures for registering statutory changes of the IRCA, registration at tax state authorities, with NIPT, the opening of the bank account on behalf of the Interreligious Council, opening of web page (www.knfsh.al/en) opening the social media pages, etc.
The meeting was followed by the full financial report of the Interfaith Council over the last six months by the economist of IRCA Mrs. Shelda Agaraj.
Members of the Presidency Council during this meeting discussed some worrying issues for all religious communities, such as property issues and their failure to return them back to the Community, from the State, the problem of cult objects and archival materials sequestered by the communist regime and their failure to pass them at the true owners to the religious communities in Albania, etc.
The meeting also discussed about the consultations that must be held in the coming months on the suggestions and proposals that will send the IRCA to the 10 World Assembly of Religions for Peace, which will be held in August 2019 in Germany.
The Council of the Presidency has also approved the establishment of the Women and Youth Boards in the IRCA, proposed at the last meeting by the Executive Council of IRCA.
This meeting was also attended by His Grace Asti and Mr. Agron Hoxha, members of the Executive Council of the IRCA.
