Head of State Committee Called 2009 a "Break through" Year in Church-State Relations

KYIV — A press conference “Condition and Tendencies of Church-State Relations in Ukraine in 2009” was held on January 12, 2009, at Ukrinform.  The event was organized by the State Committee of Ukraine on Nationalities and Religions.  Yurij Reshetnikov, the head of the state committee, Oleksandr Zaiets, head of the management noard of the public organization Institute of Religious Freedom, and deputy Pavlo Unhurian expressed their opinions on the subject and answered journalists’ questions. In his closing summary, the head of the State Committee of Ukraine on Nationalities and Religions called 2009 a “break through” year in church-state relations. According to him, the new policy of the government is important for the whole society because about 80% of the Ukrainian citizens declare their religiosity.

In Yurij Reshetnikov’s opinion, the activity of religious organizations has undergone qualitative changes in recent years. The churches revive traditional forms of activity in the society in addition to meeting the religious needs of the faithful.