site.btaPatriarch Daniil Meets with Head of EC's Representation in Bulgaria

Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil held a meeting with the head of the European Commission's (EC) Representation in Bulgaria Yordanka Chobanova at the Synodal Palace in Sofia, the Bulgarian Patriarchate said on its website on Tuesday.

Chobanova congratulated Daniel on his election and wished him a blessed service in favour of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Bulgarian people, highlighting the readiness of the EC Representation in Bulgaria to cooperate with the Church on various issues of public importance.

"The Church is a key partner in the work of the European Commission and should not be neglected," Daniil stressed and also expressed desire for various useful initiatives to be implemented in the future, adding that experience for such joint initiatives could be drawn from Bulgaria's neighbouring countries, where there are long-standing relations between religious institutions and the European Commission.

"People need spiritual leaders because there is a great division in our society," Chobanova said.