Romanian Prime Minister at the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia. Discussions on expanding support for Romanian communities in the Republic of Moldova

The support provided by Romania to the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia and the continuation of projects aimed at communities in the Republic of Moldova were among the main topics discussed by the Prime Minister of Romania, Luca Niculescu, with the Metropolitan of Bessarabia, His Eminence Father Antonie. The Romanian Prime Minister visited the headquarters of the Metropolitanate in Chisinau on Tuesday, October 27, the meeting being included in the program of his first official visit abroad since taking office. The discussions also focused on the educational, cultural and social activity of the Metropolitanate and the possibility of consolidating the support offered by the Government in Bucharest, according to a press release from the church institution.
During the meeting, Metropolitan Antonie congratulated Luca Niculescu on his inauguration as Prime Minister and conveyed his wishes for health and success in the activity of the new Executive.

The hierarch presented the role of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia both as a historical institution of Romanian church life and as a structure actively involved in the society of the Republic of Moldova. In addition to pastoral activity, the institutions and communities of the Metropolitanate carry out educational, cultural and social-philanthropic projects aimed at children, young people, families and people in difficulty.

Metropolitan Antonie thanked for the support provided by the Romanian Government, including through the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs, the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova, and the Department for Romanians Abroad. The cooperation with the Romanian Embassy in Chisinau and other partner institutions was also mentioned.

According to the Metropolitanate, the aid provided by Romania contributes to supporting the activity of priests, maintaining and renovating churches, developing community spaces, bringing young people closer to Romanian culture and continuing philanthropic projects. For many parishes, these funds allow the implementation of initiatives that could not be covered by local resources alone.

During the discussions, the recent projects of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia were also presented, as well as the priorities for the coming period. The two parties addressed the possibility of continuing and developing cooperation in the pastoral, educational, cultural and social fields.

On behalf of the clergy and believers, Metropolitan Antonie expressed his hope that the relationship with the new Government in Bucharest will continue to strengthen, emphasizing that the jointly implemented projects contribute to strengthening the ties between Romanians on both banks of the Prut.

For his part, Prime Minister Luca Niculescu appreciated the activity and mission of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia in the Republic of Moldova and expressed his openness to continuing the dialogue and developing concrete projects for the benefit of the communities.

According to the Metropolitanate, the visit reconfirmed the importance of cooperation between the Romanian state and the Romanian Orthodox Church in Bessarabia, both for preserving the spiritual and identity heritage, and for supporting educational and social projects.

At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Antonie and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu exchanged symbolic gifts, as a sign of appreciation and continued collaboration.