You're reading: Patriarch Theophilus III: Ukraine deserves to be center of interreligious dialog

Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilus III, who visited Ukraine in late March, has thanked Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych for warm welcome.

"It is pleasant to note that under your leadership, and the efforts of politicians and leaders such as Oleksandr Feldman, Mykola Azarov and Oleksandr Popov Ukraine is becoming a country where religious and secular authorities closely cooperate to resolve current humanitarian problems," reads a letter by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, extracts of which were posted on the Web Site of the Institute of Human Rights and Prevention of Extremism and Xenophobia on April 14.

Patriarch Theophilus III also said he was sure that "Ukraine, as a country where representatives of various world religions and nationalities exist, deserves to become the center of an international interreligious dialog."

He also expressed assurance that "the initiative of the development of the international interreligious conference entitled ‘World Religions and Civil Society in the Fight against Hatred and Extremism’ in the format of annual Kyiv interreligious forum will become an important step towards strengthening Ukraine’s international humanitarian arena."

Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilus III in his letter also blessed the good start of the term of office of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

As reported, Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilus III visited Ukraine for the first time on March 28-29 to participate in the international interreligious conference entitled "World Religions and Civil Society in the Fight against Hatred and Extremism."