Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia met with Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu in Chișinău on Tuesday to discuss continued Romanian state support for Church communities and the development of social, educational, and cultural projects in the Republic of Moldova.
The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Metropolis of Bessarabia during the Prime Minister’s first official foreign visit since taking office.
Metropolitan Antonie outlined the activities carried out by parishes of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, including social assistance initiatives for children, young people, families and vulnerable people.
He also emphasised the importance of support provided by the Romanian Government through its departments responsible for relations with the Republic of Moldova.
Financial assistance and institutional cooperation help support clergy, maintain places of worship, develop community facilities and implement educational and charitable programmes.
Cooperation on new projects
Prime Minister Luca Niculescu acknowledged the Church’s pastoral and social activities in the Republic of Moldova.
The head of the Romanian Government expressed his willingness to continue dialogue and cooperation to develop practical projects benefiting local communities.
Metropolitan Antonie, in turn, expressed his hope that the partnership would continue.
“The visit reaffirmed the importance of the relationship between the Romanian state and the Romanian Orthodox Church in Bessarabia, a partnership in which the preservation of spiritual heritage goes hand in hand with education, solidarity and concern for the future.
“Supporting this work strengthens an enduring bond between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, sustained through people, institutions and communities,” representatives of the Metropolis of Bessarabia said.
At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Antonie presented Luca Niculescu with an icon of St Stephen the Great.
The Prime Minister, in turn, offered the Metropolitan a symbolic gift representing the Endless Column.
