Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate informs:
On 28 April 2010, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church received, at the Patriarchal Residence, His Excellency Mr. Mihai Ghimpu, interim President of the Republic of Moldova, who was paying an official visit to Romania.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel saluted the presence in Bucharest of the delegation of the Republic of Moldova headed by Mr. Interim President Mihai Ghimpu and appreciated the openness of the authorities of Chisinau to dialogue and co-operation in the European context. At the same time, the Patriarch of Romania emphasised the importance of keeping and promoting the national cultural spiritual values, in the European and universal context, as a typical contribution to the world spiritual patrimony.

Mr. Interim President Mihai Ghimpu thanked for reception and briefly presented the preoccupation of the authorities of the Republic of Moldova for solving the concrete issues the citizens are faced with, especially the social ones, generated mainly by migration and by the economical-financial crisis. In order to heal the wounds of the past and to solve the issues of the present, the Interim President of Moldova mentioned the fact that the European integration represents a priority that can be achieved especially with the support of Romania, a country member of the European Union, taking into account the fact that the two states have the same common language, culture, faith and tradition.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel proposed, as a practical way of co-operation between the Orthodox Christians from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, the implementation of some common social, cultural, educational projects, especially now, that the Government of Chisinau wants co-operation between the two Orthodox Metropolitan Sees in the Republic of Moldova.

Mr. President Mihai Ghimpu appreciated the proposal and also asked for the support of the Romanian Patriarchate for designing and building churches.

To end with the encounter, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered the Interim President of the Republic of Moldova the homage medal of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Protector of all Romanians, the icon of Saint Dionisios Exiguous – the father of the Christian era and of the church law – that the Romanian Orthodox Church canonised in 2008 – the work entitled The Romanian Orthodox Encyclopaedia, published in 2010, the album of The Holy Spirit Renewed It, the Patriarchal Cathedral, Restoration and Re-consecration – 2008 and the book by His Beatitude Brâncuşi, Christian Orthodox Sculptor, as presents.