Just before the Remembrance Day of the Genocide Victims of Crimean Tatars His Holiness Filaret Patriarch of Kyiv and All Russia-Ukraine at his residence met with the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Natalia Popovych.

During the meeting the parties discussed a wide range of issues, in particular, they spoke about the activities of the Crimean Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate under the conditions of the temporary occupation of the peninsula, and also about the importance of founding and formation of the One Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

Natalia Popovych informed the Celebrant about the situation with the violation of fundamental freedoms and human rights on the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic Crimea and thanked His Holiness for supporting Ukraine and prayers for the soul and the fate of our compatriots in Crimea.

Patriarch Filaret awarded Natalia Popovych the Order of the Great Martyr St. Barbara for the personal contribution to the revival of the Ukrainian state, spirituality and development of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.