Delegation of Ukrainian Church Heads Meets with European Commissioner Štefan Füle
On March 6, the delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations met with the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle, reports the Institute for Religious Freedom.
During the meeting, there was a lively exchange of views on the European prospects of Ukraine with regard to various difficulties in the European integration process.
The heads of the Ukrainian denominations emphasized the importance of moral principles that are necessary not only for the development of Ukrainian society but also for the entire European community. They expressed awareness of their responsibility before God to uphold high moral values for the sake of future generations, which determines the appropriate public stance in the dialogue with the authorities and citizens.
On his part, Štefan Füle expressed his deep respect for the spiritual and moral principles that the leaders of churches and religious organizations represent and embody in Ukraine. He stressed the uniqueness of the Ukrainian experience of interreligious understanding, which includes not only the peaceful coexistence of different religions, but also represents a successful example of interfaith cooperation.
According to European Commissioner, this positive experience that develops the religious community of Ukraine is important not only for Europe but also for the entire globalized world, which includes representatives of different nationalities, religions, philosophies, and so forth.
Both sides agreed on the need for a joint search for answers to issues related to contemporary social problems. One of them is the demographic crisis in Europe.
The heads of the denominations focused on spiritual and moral preconditions of various social crises, calling to multiply good and resist evil. In their opinion, religion is an important part of building a civil society in Ukraine.
In conclusion, Commissioner Štefan Füle expressed his satisfaction with the dialogue. The meeting outlined steps for further cooperation for the European Union and for Ukraine.
The first day of the delegation’s visit in Brussels ended with an official reception with the participation of EU officials, Representative of Ukraine to the European Union Konstantin Eliseev, member of the European Parliament and head of the Committee for parliamentary cooperation EU-Ukraine Pavel Koval, representatives of the diplomatic community, the Conference of European Churches, the Nunciature, Jewish organizations, public institutions, and the Ukrainian diaspora.
