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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release October 22, 1997

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

Presidential Meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

President Clinton met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew today. They discussed areas of mutual interest, including the importance of religious tolerance, interfaith cooperation and protection of the environment.

The First Lady also met with the Patriarch, and then hosted a reception for him. They first met when she visited Istanbul last year.

The Patriarch is the spiritual leader of millions of Orthodox Christians around the world, including an estimated five million adherents in the United States. He is visiting several U.S. cities in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

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