Today, on March 21, the members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) did meet with Viktor Yanukovych. As he greeted the church figures, the president expressed confidence that the parties would discuss pressing issues regarding the development of the country.
“I would like to listen to you, to hear about changes in our state in the last year, to hear your ideas,” the presidential website quotes Viktor Yanukovych as saying.
“I would like to thank you all for the spiritual ministry provided by you to the people,” said the president.
The presidential website called the meeting “traditional” and “annual.” However, in 2010, the president did not wish to see the representatives of the AUCCRO despite their earnest requests to meet. In 2011, the meeting was held on Holy Thursday and lasted less than an hour.
As RISU reported earlier, representatives of the Presidential Administration called the members of the AUCCRO last Monday and persuaded them to cancel their previously planned meetings with top officials of the European Union in Brussels and to meet with Ukraine’s president instead.