On September 28, 2025, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, participated in the plenary session of the International Conference of the Assyrian Church of the East dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, held at the Catholic University of Erbil (Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq). The forum was headed by the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East, His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Ava III. The chairman of the organizing committee is Bishop Mar Ilia Isaac of Baghdad.
Participating in the conference are: Metropolitan Ghattaz of Baghdad and Kuwait (Antiochian Orthodox Church); Archbishop Bashar Varda, Administrator of the Erbil Diocese of the Chaldean Catholic Church; Archbishop Nicodemus Daud Sharaf, Administrator of the Mosul, Kirkuk and Kurdistan Diocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Nathanael Nizar Semaan of Adiabene, administrator of the parishes of the Syro-Catholic Church in the Kurdish region ; hierarchs The Assyrian Church of the East and other Christian denominations in Iraq; Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Apostolic Nunciature in Baghdad, Priest Charles Luanga Ssuuna; Priest Jacinth Destivel, an employee of the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; church scientists, biblical scholars, historians and theologians from around the world.
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk addressed the audience and greeted the participants of the conference on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. His Eminence mentioned that "more than 20 years ago, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, then chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, visited Iraq, including its northern part. The acquaintance with this biblical land left a deep impression and a grateful memory in the soul of His Holiness."
Vladyka noted that the borders of ancient Mesopotamia are a land that "preserves the memory of the forefathers and prophets of the Old Testament who lived here, as well as the holy apostles who preached the Gospel at the dawn of the Christian era, including the apostles Thomas, Thaddeus and Mary, revered as enlighteners of the East."
"The Russian Orthodox Church has long maintained fraternal and very close relations with the traditional Christian communities of the Middle East,— the DECR chairman emphasized. "We are connected by our religious and cultural heritage, and our loyalty to the common apostolic tradition." 
And in this sense, Metropolitan Anthony noted, "The First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, which we remember today, has a special significance for all of us; this event remains the starting point for the consolidation of the entire Christian world, the formation of the most important Christian doctrinal positions and theology in general." 
"The Council's experience in the correct interpretation of fundamental theological terms and its approach to dispute resolution in the spirit of a sincere, joint search for the right solutions always remain relevant," His Eminence continued. "Finally, the participants of this Council set a remarkable example of Christian unity, inspired by the words of the Holy Apostle Paul, who taught that there is one God and Father of all, Who is above us, and through us all, and in us all (Ephesians 4:6)." 
"In later times, we all missed this unity very much," Metropolitan Anthony emphasized. — Christians have suffered a lot, including because of their disunity. This had a very eloquent effect on the fate of Christians in the Middle East. This also applies to the very recent past, which we are all witnessing. In recent years, terrorists have destroyed many churches, monasteries and entire cities. Hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless and driven from their homes, tens of thousands suffered martyrdom. Many shrines and historical monuments remain destroyed and desecrated."
At the same time, as Vladyka Anthony recalled, "the supreme truth unceasingly testifies that God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7); a convincing confirmation of this is the new upsurge of faith and Christian life, including here in the northern borders of Iraq."
However, "increasingly walking in darkness (John 12:35), the modern world poses common challenges to us. Our Churches cannot ignore them in silence, realizing their responsibility for the future not only of their own flock, but of the entire human civilization. We are deeply concerned about the rapid growth of secular processes in modern society, including the rejection of moral traditions in society. Today, the task of jointly defending the Christian understanding of morality, family, environmental protection, and many other immutable, God-given values is particularly in demand. The correct answer to these challenges is impossible without entrusting oneself to God, for the Holy Scriptures testify that the fruit of the righteous is the tree of life, and the wise attract souls (Prov. 11:30)».
Metropolitan Anthony noted that "studying the legacy of the First Ecumenical Council and its participants, the Holy Fathers of the Church, can contribute to a correct understanding of the causes of many tragedies of the past and avoid their recurrence in the future." 
In conclusion, Bishop Anthony expressed the hope that the conference would serve this purpose, wishing God's help and fruitful work to its participants.