Speaking to the press after holding talks with Vartholomeos in the Fanar district, Plassnik praised the Orthodox prelate for his "untiring contribution towards inter-religious dialogue, mutual understanding between human beings, the creation of a world where peoples will live without fear, where they can live with their own religion, their own faith or even live without faith at all if they want to." 
 "This is the meaning of religious freedom," Plassnik noted, adding that this meaning of freedom is one of the foundations of the European system of values. And this is an issue we are negotiating on with states that wish to become European Union members. During the one-hour meeting, the Austrian foreign minister discussed with the Patriarch issues relating to the Patriarchate and the ethnic Greek community.