Representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations and members of the inter-factional parliamentary association "Values. Dignity. Family" will cooperate in the legislative sector in order to resolve issues of state-church relations.
According to the official website of the AUCCRO, this agreement was reached during a meeting of religious figures and parliamentarians on September 6 in Kyiv. This is the seventh meeting in the framework of the dialogue between the AUCCRO and this Parliamentary Association, the official website of the AUCCRO says.
The participants formed a list of relevant legislative initiatives that require amendments, revision or complete rejection. The participants of the meeting also decided on legislative initiatives in the field of ensuring freedom of conscience and religion, which should be worked out and submitted to the parliament as a draft law. They include not being limited to:
- cancellation of the requirement for notarization of signatures on protocols of religious organizations submitted to the state registrar;
- streamlining the procedure for referral to an alternative service;
- ensuring the right of doctors and medical personnel to refuse to participate in termination of pregnancy for reasons of conscience.
Also members of the parliamentary faction "Values. Dignity. Family" will contribute to the adoption in the second reading of the draft law "on the service of military chaplaincy" (register. No. 4626) in the version supported by the members of the AUCCRO.
The participants agreed that during the new session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, meetings between representatives of the AUCCRO and the parliamentary faction "Values. Dignity. Family" will again be held monthly, and if necessary – more often.