Deputy President of the Foreign Church Affairs Department of the Moscow Patriarchy met the President of the Republic of Macedonia
(
09.12.2009
)
At December the 7th, President of the Republic of Macedonia Mr. George Ivanov has received in his residency the Deputy President of the Foreign Church Affairs Department of the Moscow Patriarchy, archpriest Nikolai Balashov, who has come to Skopje with a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Cyril.
Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Macedonia Mr. V.D. Solocinskii also took presence on the meeting.
Father Nikolai expressed to Mr. George Ivanov and to the people of Macedonia, who is represented by him, all the best wishes from the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and from the President of the Foreign Church Affairs Department of the Moscow Patriarchy, Archbishop Hillarie Volkolamskii, as well.
The subjects of these talks, which lasted more than an hour, were the interactive relations of the Macedonian people with other peoples of the same religious conviction, spiritually lead by Moscow Patriarchy, and of course the development of the spiritual and cultural connections among Russia and the Republic of Macedonia. It was particularly considered the subject of the planned organization of the Days of Russian culture on the Balkans. The constant and everlasting significance of the spiritual tradition of Orthodoxy, which teaches the peoples of our countries on the basis of common visions and values, marked with long century’s historic connections, rising up to one original East-Slavic civilization, and the important spiritual centres as Ohrid and Kiev are.
President Ivanov demonstrated his interest about the issue of the position of Russian Orthodox Church, concerning the regulation of the canonical status of the Orthodox Church in the Republic of Macedonia. The common estimation which was expressed here, was that it would be necessary the dialogue with the Serbian Orthodox Church to continue, and this separation to be overcome, because it is weakening the testimony of the Orthodoxy in general, and is deteriorating the completeness of the ecumenical family of Orthodox nations and peoples.
Moscow Patriarchy is continually making maximum efforts this dispute to be resolved in a brotherhood dialogue manner between the Orthodox Macedonians and the Serbian Patriarchy, and in a spirit of evangelistic love and based of the Canonical tradition of the Holy Church.
Communication service of the Foreign Church Affairs Department of the Moscow Patriarchy
Source: Mospat.ru
