Media: Zelensky doesn’t sign a joint statement prepared by Phanar

Vladimir Zelensky and Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: Facebook

Before the meeting between the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, there were misunderstandings between the representatives of Constantinople and the Office of the Ukrainian President, reports BBC News Ukraine.

According to the agency’s information, confirmed by sources both in Kiev and Istanbul, at today's meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew and Vladimir Zelensky were to sign a joint statement. However, at the last moment “the parties did not understand each other” and the President’s team refused to sign the document prepared by the Phanar in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry.

As the agency’s interlocutors noted, the statement mainly concerned environmental issues and did not contain political provocative language, and therefore it is completely unclear what Zelensky’s team might not like.

The Office of the President of Ukraine refused to comment to the journalists on the refusal to sign the joint statement.

As reported by the UOJ, on August 7-8, 2019, President Vladimir Zelensky is making a working visit to Turkey, during which he met with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. At the end of the meeting, Zelensky said that they talked with the patriarch "about everything that worries everyone".

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