Orban meets Syriac Orthodox partiarch

Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Budapest on Thursday, the prime minister's press chief said. The patriarch was one of the Orthodox Christian leaders who turned to Orban for help in "stopping the European Commission's plan to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill of Russia", Bertalan Havasi said. Including a Christian leader on a sanctions list would "set a precedent that would confuse millions of Christians," the patriarch said. He also thanked Hungary for consistently aiding Christian communities in need. Orban pledged Hungary would not support sanctioning religious leaders as such a step would impact the religious freedom of Hungarian communities "which is sacred and inviolable".