Business Meeting of RJBC Deputy Chairman Valeriy A. Kononenko and Baptism of Christ Complex Directorate. Operational Meeting Was Held on Building Site of Russian House of Pilgrims on River Jordan

The regular meeting of the Russian-Jordanian Business Council Deputy Chairman, Chairman of the Commission for Tourism, Culture, Religion and Coordination with Public Organizations Valeriy A. Kononenko with Director of the Complex Mr. Dia Al-Madani took place at the Baptism of Christ Complex director’s office on 31st March 2010. Chief Engineer, who headed the Operation & Maintenance Division of the Baptism of Christ Complex, Mr. Zaydoon Al-Jamal, Head of the representative office of the ‘StroytransGas’ in Jordan, the company building the Russian House of Pilgrims on the river Jordan, Opria A.Y. and other Heads of the Complex Services and Departments took part in the meeting.

The issues concerning the popularization of the Jordanian religious attractions and, first of all, of the place of the Baptism of Christ were under discussion at the meeting. It was noted that much work has been done in this area of cooperation and as a result of it the information awareness among the pilgrims in Russia territory has increased. As a part of such cooperation the weekly news bulletins about all the diversity of Jordanian culture and historical, religious and spiritual shrines and sacred places are broadcasted on Russian TV channels.

It was observed that the number of pilgrims from Russia is expanding steadily. It also happens thanks to the special attention paid to this matter by the Leaders of both states, President of Russia Medvedev D.A. and King of Jordan Abdullah II, the direct supervision of Prince Gazy Ben Muhammed, who is Head of the King’s Council for Religious Denominations, the position and activities of the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities, which is headed by Ms. Maha Khatib, the dynamic activity of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the Russian Federation and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Russian Federation Ahmad Al-Hassan, the everyday work of the Baptism of Christ Complex Directorate headed by Director Mr. Dia Al-Madani, energetic activity of Chairman of the Russian-Jordanian Business Council Commission for Tourism, Culture, Religion and Coordination with Public Organizations Kononenko V.A.

On behalf of the international Coordinating Council of the World Charitable Alliance ‘Mirotvorets’ (‘Peacemaker’) Russian-Jordanian Business Council Deputy Chairman, Chairman of the Russian-Jordanian Business Council Commission for Tourism, Culture, Religion and Coordination with Public Organizations Kononenko V.A. awarded Director of the Baptism of Christ Complex Mr. Dia Al-Madani and Chief Engineer of the Baptism of Christ Complex Mr. Zaydoon Al-Jamal medals of I Peace Congress for a major contribution to the development of pilgrimage tourism between Russia and Jordan, maintenance, cherishing and increasing of the Orthodox shrines and sacred places in Jordan territory as well as for their personal contribution to the consolidation of peace, friendship and cooperation between Russia and Jordan.

The strategic meeting was held on the Russian House of Pilgrims building site on the river Jordan. Head of the representative office of “StroytransGas” in Jordan, the builder of the Russian House of Pilgrims on the river Jordan, Opria A.Y. and the representative of the Jordanian contracting organizations Mr. Nasser Issa Abu-Halimeh brought up to the meeting participants details of the construction project, the schedule of construction works and fixed the new expected date of the startup of the Complex (31/11/2010).

Kononenko V.A. noted once again the importance of the operational building of this Complex both for Russia and Jordan and expressed confidence that it would favor the further development of religious and cultural interrelations with Jordan, which, in turn, would even further unite the nations of Jordan and Russia in their mutual striving for peace, accord and mutually beneficial partnering.