Creation of an independent church is another act of state independence - President of Ukraine in an interview to the Greek newspaper TaNea

In the interview to the Greek newspaper TaNea, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stressed that Ukrainians have been waiting for more than a thousand years to receive autocephaly for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

"This is an achievement that Ukrainians have been dreaming of for more than a thousand years, as our land received Christian faith from the Constantinople Mother Church. For the first time now we have an independent Church recognized by the Ecumenical Orthodox Church, equal to other sister churches," Petro Poroshenko stressed.

The President stressed that "the creation of our own independent church is another act of state independence". At the same time, he noted that the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine had never acted in favor of Ukraine. "Its interests were disunity in Ukraine and subordination to Moscow. With our new church, we finally got a historic chance for greater unity and sustainability as a European Christian nation," he said.

At the same time, the President noted that "not so many events in the history of the state are as important as this".

"And this is happening right before our eyes. As a true believer, I am very glad to be a witness, part and engine of this. This historic event enables millions of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians to return to the general Christian community, since after the decisions of His All-Holiness Bartholomew and the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate the connection with the Ecumenical Orthodoxy will be restored," Petro Poroshenko emphasized.

He stressed that the creation of a recognized autocephalous, independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine also strongly contributed to the unity of the country.

"This is about our spiritual independence and spiritual freedom. Historical justice is restored and these days will always be remembered. No one can divide my people into "canonical" or "non-canonical". There is a canonical church for all who wish to join. The most important mission for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which has just recovered, is to unite Orthodox believers in our country," Petro Poroshenko noted.