Poroshenko promises to Phanar “property items” in return of Tomos
The President undertook to transfer to Stavropegia of Constantinople in Ukraine “buildings aтв premises, other property items” necessary “for the mission to function”.
The agreement on cooperation and interaction between Ukraine and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, signed on November 3, 2018 in Istanbul, shows that in exchange for Tomos on autocephalous OCU, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko pledged to promote the acquisition by “Phanar” of offices in Ukraine. A copy of the document, provided by the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, was published by Ukrainian News.
"In accordance with the purpose of the agreement, Ukraine will contribute <...> to the acquisition, in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine, by the representation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine, namely the mission ‘Stavropegion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine’, of buildings and premises, other property items necessary for the functioning of the mission ‘Stavropegion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine’", the agreement says.
“After reviewing the signed agreement on cooperation and interaction between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Constantinople Patriarchate, the reason why the Presidential Administration refused to publish its text becomes clear,” note the journalists from Ukrainian News, who had applied to the Presidential Administration with a request to provide a copy of the signed agreement on November 4, 2018. “It is not beneficial for Poroshenko, on the eve of the presidential election, to recognize the fact that the cost of creating the Autocephalous Local Orthodox Church and receiving the Tomos on autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was the transfer of state ownership to the permanent free use by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”
As the UOJ reported, the “Agreement on Cooperation and Interaction between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Constantinople Patriarchate” was signed by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew following the meeting in Istanbul on November 3, 2018. Experts stressed that, according to the Law of Ukraine “On Access to Public Information”, all papers officially signed by the President of Ukraine must be publicly accessible within 5 days from the date of signing.
