The prime-minister of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia together with two hierarchs of MOC on a visit to the Constantinopolitan Patriarch
(
17.03.2005
)
Today, within his two-day official visit to Turkey, the prime-minister of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Vlado Bučkovski, accompanied by two hierarchs of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, H.E. Peter, Metropolitan of Australia and New Zealand and administrator of Prespa and Pelagonia, and H.E. Timothy, Metropolitan of Debar, Kičevo, and Plaošnik, had a cordial meeting with His Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. At the meeting prime-minister Bučkovski stated his devout pleading before the Constantinopolitan Patriarch the latter to give his influential contribution to the resolution of the half a century old dispute between the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church, for establishment of a visible canonical and eucharistic community of the Macedonian Orthodox Church with the other sister Orthodox Churches, with confirmation of its autocephalous status.
His Holiness, for his part, stated after the meeting that he was ready to do everything to resolve the dispute the best possible, and the Macedonian Orthodox Church to receive a canonical status.
After the meeting with the Constantinopolitan Patriarch, the Macedonian prime-minister expressed his view that in solving such affairs, good will is of utmost significance, and that surpassing the problems over the recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church among the sister Orthodox Churches would have an exceptional contribution into the stabilization of our country. Prime-minister Bučkovski also expressed hope to see soon Patriarch Bartholomew as a guest in Skopje
