Ukraine's New Consul General in Istanbul Visited the Phanar

The new Consul General of Ukraine in Istanbul, Georgy Filatov, paid an official visit to the Phanar, where he was received by the head of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. During the meeting, the parties discussed current issues.

According to Fos Fanariou, the visit took place on Friday, July 17, 2026. The diplomat was accompanied by his wife and two children. Patriarch Bartholomew hosted the meeting with the consul, and the two engaged in a lengthy and substantive dialogue.

Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, who represents the senior clergy of the Church of Constantinople, also participated in the official meeting. The parties exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, emphasizing the constructive nature of the discussion.

It should be recalled that earlier, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, a hierarch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, noted that the Phanar has no intention of revising its decision to legalize the OCU and grant the Tomos of autocephaly to Ukrainian schismatics. The hierarch stated that the interest of certain parties to the interchurch conflict in such a development of events is the cause of a “spiritual illness” and an “ecclesiological deviation.”