The Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate informs us:

On 4 May 2011, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel received, at the Patriarchal Palace, the visit of His Excellency Mr. Filippos Petsalnikos, President of the Parliament of the Hellenic Republic. His Excellency Mr. Georgios Poukamissas, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic in Bucharest, was also present.

The President of the Parliament of the Hellenic Republic thanked for reception and underlined the importance of the traditional church, cultural, educational, economical and political relations of friendship between the two countries and peoples.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel appreciated the fraternal relations between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Greece and underlined the fact that the two Orthodox peoples and countries members of the European Union must intensify their cooperation in order to give a common witness both of their faith and of their cultural and spiritual values in the European context.

Some other aspects of the relations between State and Church in Romania were tackled during the encounter. In this context, the Patriarch of Romania pointed out the fact that in our country, the religious cults are autonomous, but they co-operate with the State in order to achieve the common well being in the society.