French President Emmanuel Macron met with Metropolitan Ioanniki of Montenegro at the Cetinje Monastery

During his visit to Montenegro, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, visited the residence of the Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral at the Cetinje Monastery. The French leader was received by Metropolitan Ioannikios, with whom he discussed the country’s European integration and the centuries-old historical ties between the two nations.

According to the Orthodoxia News Agency, Emmanuel Macron was accompanied by Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović. During the official meeting, the parties addressed the issue of Montenegro’s European future, noting that new opportunities for the country’s accession to the European Union are currently emerging. Metropolitan Ioanniki emphasized the significance of the French president’s visit and spoke in detail about the metropolitanate’s missionary, cultural, and spiritual activities, as well as the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in preserving the region’s Christian heritage.

Special attention was paid to the historical context during the meeting. The interlocutors recalled the inseparable ties between the peoples, highlighting in particular the friendship and alliance during the First and Second World Wars. The Metropolitan also noted that many Montenegrin rulers, military leaders, writers, and clergy had studied at renowned French universities in their time.

His Eminence Ioannikios expressed his conviction that Montenegro is capable of enriching modern Europe with its spiritual and cultural potential. “The struggle for freedom, honor, and dignity, as well as the self-sacrificing Christian spirit, adorn this people. Without these universal and eternal values, no people and no country would have any profound meaning,” the hierarch noted.

At the conclusion of the meeting, as a memento of the visit, Metropolitan Ioannikios presented President Macron with a special gift—a replica of an early Christian vessel known as the “Podgorica Chalice” (found in the ancient city of Dioclea), the original of which is now housed in the State Hermitage Museum.

As a reminder, in the northwestern part of France, in the city of Arradon, the newly formed Orthodox community marked its establishment by celebrating its first Divine Liturgy. The event, timed to coincide with the feast of Pentecost, marked the beginning of regular liturgical life for the new parish, which has brought together believers from the region.