01  2-4 March 2007 - Meeting of Middle Eastern Council of Churches (MECC) Executive Committee
was held at the Saint Mark Conference Center, Coptic Church, Cairo.

Bishop Luca Khoury, Mr. Chafic Haidar, and Eng. Samer Laham, Head of Ecumenical Relations and Development at the Patriarchate, and MECC associate moderator, represented the Orthodox family of Antioch.

The main focus of the meeting was to prepare for the General Assembly, scheduled for 26-30 October 2007, and to plan for the future structure of MECC programs.

02  2-7 March 2007 - Visit of the Danish Church Aid delegation to Syria
during which the visitors were received by H.B. Patriarch Ignatius.

The delegation visited a number of NGOs and public institutions, and met with the Syrian Ministers of Immigration, and Social Affairs.

This visit aimed at making a comprehensive survey of the situation of women in Syria, in order to undertake further developmental cooperation.

03  2-3 March 2007 - Visit of Metropolitan Emmanuel, representative of the Ecumenical Church and head of the Orthodox Bishops Assembly in Paris.

The visit included meeting with head of the Kaftaro Institute, Mr Salah Kaftaro, prominent religious and political figures, in addition to visiting Saydnaya Monastery and Saint Christophorus Conference Center.

04  2-3 March 2007 - Metropolitan Chrisostomos of Larnaca, Cyprus, visited the Patriarchate,
presenting a donation of US $44,000 from his diocese and from the Cypriot Hunger Aid Agency, for the victims of the Lebanese war.

The donation was forwarded to Tyr and Sydon Archdiocese.

05  Training courses in Management
organized by the Patriarchal Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development, in cooperation with the Syrian European Business Center, were taken by a number of female students.

Computer Science courses were also organized by "Dream Center" for 9 members from the “Persons with Special Needs” group.

06  4 March 2007 - Syrian writer, Dr Joumana Taha,
gave a lecture at Holy Cross Hall, Damascus, on His Beatitude's book, "Antiochian Breath".

In attendance was H.B. Patriarch Ignatius, and a large audience of clergy and cultural figures.

07  The Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development at the Patriarchate
is planning to provide financial assistance for Iraqi refugee women and children, in cooperation with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the aid agency of the Standing Conference of the Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).