Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak met on Thursday with Bishop of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon.
"Volodymyr Zelensky is a President who does not use the church for political purposes," Yermak said, adding that today all denominations feel free and independent in Ukraine.
The main priority of President Zelensky and his team remains to end the war and return the temporarily occupied territories and people living there.
Andriy Yermak thanked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Ecumenical Patriarchate for their support of Ukraine.
Read alsoMoscow Patriarchate plotting to hinder Bartholomew's visit to UkraineYermak stressed that "the whole country is looking forward to the visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and his participation in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence," and conveyed greetings from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The chief of the President's Office assured that the state would ensure that the visit is held at the highest level.
For his part, Metropolitan Emmanuel noted the openness and support of President Zelensky, which was confirmed by the visit of the Head of State and the First Lady to the Mother Church and the meeting with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in October 2020.
Metropolitan Emmanuel stressed that the Orthodox Church of Constantinople "prays for the end of the war in Donbas and peace in Ukraine, as well as for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine and around the world."
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