The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I today in Washington, DC. They discussed the U.S. commitment to supporting religious freedom around the world and opportunities to work with the Orthodox Christian community worldwide on issues of shared concern, as well as with religious minorities in Turkey and the region. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed that the reopening of the Halki Seminary remains a continued priority for the Biden Administration. They also discussed the imperative of urgently addressing the climate crisis.