Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said that the Ukrainian government is worried about the separation of the Orthodox churches, and it is ready to facilitate the harmonization of inter-church relations, without interfering in the affairs of churches.
"Of course, we are worried that our Orthodoxy is divided into three churches, but we believe that this is a matter of the church itself to find its path to unity and unification," he said at a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul on Sunday.
Azarov said that the Ukrainian government was ready to facilitate the harmonization of inter-church relations, the dialog between the churches, mutual understanding and the development in society of the Christian values of love and kindness.
He also thanked Patriarch Bartholomew for his assistance to Ukrainian pilgrims in visiting Mount Athos.
The patriarch, in turn, supported the unification of the Orthodox churches in Ukraine.
"We pray for peace and stability in Ukraine, and for the reunification of the Orthodox churches. We are ready to provide any assistance to achieve this unification," he said.
Patriarch Bartholomew also blessed all undertakings of the Ukrainian government.
