Media: US State Secretary to lobby promotion of OCU and Yurash in Kiev

Michael Pompeo. Photo: Getty Images

During his official visit to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is most likely to raise the topic of promoting the OCU, Vesti.ua reports citing the information obtained from its own sources close to the religious sphere.

“Now, the State Department by any means would like to appoint a person as the head of the newly created State Service for Ethnic Policy and Religion who is advantageous to the US – and this person is Andrei Yurash,” the source said. “This topic will be raised by Pompeo at his subsequent meetings. The US actively wants to show that they navigate the situation.”

The source added that the situation in Ukraine is absolutely similar to what is happening in the Balkans, where the support of the non-canonical "Montenegrin Church" caused a split and confrontation among believers.

As reported by the UOJ, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo intended to come to Kiev on January 3, but the visit was postponed due to the attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad on December 31. The official program of the visit included meetings of Pompeo with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko and Defense Minister Andrei Zagorodniuk, as well as “with representatives of civil society, business community and religious leaders to discuss human rights issues, the investment climate and the government reform agenda."

Recall that in Ukraine there is a second-round competition for the post of head of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, which will deal with religious issues. Four candidates reached the final of the competition, including one of the main lobbyists of the OCU, Andrei Yurash. According to media reports, at the final interview the candidates were asked about their attitude to the state support of the new church structure.

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