Heads of Ukrainian and Romanian religious ministries discuss dialogue between OCU and Romanian Orthodox Church

On March 5, 2025, the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelensky, met with the Secretary of State for Religious Affairs of Romania, Ciprian Olinici, who is on a visit to Chernivtsi. The parties discussed deepening cooperation and developing a dialogue between the OCU and the Romanian Orthodox Church. This is reported by the SSEPFC website.

The parties discussed ensuring the right to freedom of conscience for persons belonging to the Romanian national minority (community) in Ukraine and the Ukrainian national minority in Romania. They considered in detail the religious situation in places of compact residence of these communities and the state of meeting the needs of their religious communities in both countries.

In addition, Victor Yelenskyy informed Ciprian Olinici about the anti-church law No. 3894 adopted in August last year, which aims to ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Yelenskyy assured his colleague that these measures “in no way restrict and will not restrict religious freedom in Ukraine.”

The parties also discussed the processes taking place in the fullness of Orthodoxy and in relations between the Local Orthodox Churches. Both Victor Yelensky and Ciprian Olinici emphasized the need to start a dialogue between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the OCU.

Earlier, Serhiy Shumylo, Director of the International Institute of Athos Heritage, religious scholar and lobbyist for the OCU, said that the Romanian Orthodox Church may agree to recognize the OCU if Ukraine allows the Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine to be established, which will include Romanian-speaking Orthodox parishes in the country.