On March 5, the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (SEFC), Viktor Yelensky, met with Romanian Secretary of State for Religious Affairs Ciprian Olinici, who is on a visit to Chernivtsi.
This was reported by the SEFC website.
The parties discussed the right to freedom of conscience for persons belonging to the Romanian national minority (community) in Ukraine and the Ukrainian national minority in Romania. They considered in detail the religious situation in places of compact residence of said communities and the state of meeting the needs of their religious communities in both countries.
Viktor Yelensky informed Ciprian Olinici about the measures taken by the Ukrainian state to protect the constitutional order in the field of religious organizations and to prevent the manipulation of religion by the aggressor country. He assured that these measures do not and will not restrict religious freedom in Ukraine.
The parties also discussed the processes taking place in the Fullness of Orthodoxy and in relations between the Local Orthodox Churches. Both Mr. Yelensky and Mr. Olinici emphasized the need to start a dialogue between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The parties also discussed the issue of religious relics of particular importance to the culture and historical memory of Romania located in Ukraine, as well as historical monuments associated with persons who played an important role in the history of Ukraine located in Romania.
The Head of the SEFC and the Secretary of State agreed that relations between religious organizations in Ukraine and Romania must be in line with the high level of relations between Ukraine and Romania at the interstate level, especially since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The parties agreed to meet in Kyiv in the near future.