Diplomats from Northern European and Baltic countries visited the Phanar Exarchate in Lithuania

On October 16, 2026, a meeting was held in Vilnius between representatives of the foreign ministries of the Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8) and the leadership of the Patriarchal Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Lithuania. According to the Orthodoxia News Agency, the diplomats discussed issues related to cooperation between the state and religious institutions, as well as the role of the church in strengthening social unity.

The delegation, which included representatives from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Lithuania, was received by Bishop Panaret of Tamis, the Patriarchal Exarch of Lithuania. During the conversation, the hierarch emphasized that the activities of the Exarchate, which is under the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, "is aimed at serving believers of various nationalities, while the Church strictly avoids involvement in political processes or representing the interests of ethnic groups.”

Particular attention during the discussion was given to the challenges facing religious communities amid the current geopolitical instability. Bishop Panaret “strongly condemned attempts to use religion to justify aggression or incite hatred, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reviewed the practical aspects of the Exarchate’s work, including charitable initiatives, the development of multilingual parishes, and cooperation with Lithuanian government institutions. The diplomats highly commended the contribution of religious communities to maintaining social stability and fostering interfaith dialogue in the region.

As a reminder, we previously reported that representatives of the diocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople operating in Lithuania once again complained about the activities of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. In the Phanar’s Lithuanian Exarchate, officials claim that the Lithuanian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is misleading believers from Ukraine who “do not understand ideological affiliations.”