Vice President Biden & Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Meet in Istanbul
In Istanbul on Sunday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden privately met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, prior to departing for Washington, D.C., during his official trip to Turkey.
The American Vice President's and Ecumenical Patriarch's closed-door meeting was held for approximately 40 minutes. After, the two leaders along with Biden's wife Jill, visited St. George Greek Orthodox Church, located within the Patriarchate and lit a candle.
The entire religious visit lasted about one-and-a-half hours. The Bidens then toured the Süleymaniye Mosque where they were informed about the historic site's construction, before arriving at the airport to exit Turkey.
The Vice President and his wife arrived in Istanbul Friday evening. During his official trip that was centered on differing stances on Syria, Vice President Biden held meetings with the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Derviş Eroğlu, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.
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