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A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 18 January 2019
Ukraine OKs property law that could affect 12,000 churches

Associated Press wide autonomy under the of a parish to put their sig-
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Russian Orthodox Church natures on a vote to join
Ukraine's parliament on was considered legitimate another community. If the
Thursday adopted a bill and two others in Ukraine vote is not unanimous, that
spelling out procedures for were regarded as schis- part of the community that
transferring church proper- matic. The new church prefers to stay with the Rus-
ty after a new unified Ukrai- unites the two formerly sia-affiliated church should
nian Orthodox church was schismatic bodies. be allowed to rent the
granted independence. Many Ukrainians had re- premises and use them for
The bill could potentially af- sented the status of the their own rites.
fect some 12,000 church- Moscow-affiliated church. Ukrainian President Petro
es in Ukraine and vast The push for a full-fledged Poroshenko, who spear-
amounts of property, in- Ukrainian church was bol- headed efforts to make the
cluding the gems of Ortho- stered by Russia's annexa- Ukrainian church indepen-
dox Christianity like the vast tion of Crimea in 2014 and dent, hailed the vote at the
Pechersk Monastery in the fighting in eastern Ukraine Supreme Rada, saying that
Ukrainian capital of Kiev. between government forc- it will prevent "bloodshed."
The Ecumenical Patriarch es and Russia-backed reb- He said over 100 parishes
of Constantinople earlier els that has killed at least have already indicated
this month granted inde- 10,000 people. their intention to join the
pendence to a new Ukrai- The Supreme Rada on new church.
nian Orthodox Church, Thursday voted for the bill Poroshenko, who has been
formally severing its centu- that spells out the proce- Metropolitan Epiphanius, the head of the independent Ukrainian touring the country in re-
ries-long ties with the Rus- dures for transferring church Orthodox Church, leads the Christmas service in the St. Sophia cent weeks with the Tomos,
sian Orthodox Church. The property if a parish decides Cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019. a scroll containing the in-
move forces clergy and be- to join a new church. The Associated Press dependence decree, has
lievers in Ukraine to choose bill has yet to be signed by been criticized for using the
between belonging to the president. warning of sectarian vio- jority vote and a show of church split with Moscow
Moscow-backed churches The Russian Orthodox lence. hands, caused concerns in to boost his popularity. He is
or the new Ukrainian one. Church has staunchly op- The first reading of the bill, the European Union. expected to seek re-elec-
Until the decree, the Ortho- posed the creation of the which allowed for a trans- The bill that was voted on tion in the March 31 presi-
dox church that enjoyed new Ukrainian church, fer of property by a ma- Thursday requires two-thirds dential vote.q

Vladimir Putin gets lavish welcome on visit to ally Serbia

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC to Serbia and then on to authoritarian regime."
Associated Press Hungary, "but in the end, It said that Putin's visit "indi-
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — everything will depend on cates that the Serbian rul-
Vladimir Putin received a other countries, including ers are ready to sacrifice
hero's welcome in ally Ser- the European Union." human rights and better
bia on Thursday as the Rus- Putin's visit come as thou- living standards of citizens
sian president attempted sands have been holding because of their servile
to maintain political and weekly demonstrations attitude toward Putin's re-
economic influence in the against Vucic because of gime."
Balkans, which is increas- what they see as his auto- Russia's interest in Serbia re-
ingly looking Westward. cratic rule. lates to its strategic position
Putin's presidential plane Tens of thousands of Vucic's between East and West.
was escorted over Serbian right-wing party supporters Of Serbia's eight neighbors,
airspace by MiG-29 fighter were bused into the capi- five are NATO members
jets he recently donated tal on Thursday to gather and two more are seeking
to Serbia as he arrived for in front of the St. Sava Or- membership; and four are
the one-day visit. Church Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, right, and Russian President thodox church, which the in the EU and two more are
Vladimir Putin, center, attend an official welcome ceremony
bells tolled, guns saluted prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. two presidents visited. They working toward accession.
and people waved Russian Associated Press were chanting slogans in- Serbia remains Moscow's
and Serbian flags on Putin's cluding "Serbia-Russia, we only ally in the region.
route through the Serbian mer communist countries independence in 2008, don't need the European Unlike NATO, Putin formally
capital, Belgrade. of Eastern Europe. and added that "however Union!" does not oppose Serbia's
Serbia has maintained Putin and his host, Serbian small," Serbia has been a Vucic's critics say the gath- EU path and analysts be-
close links with traditional President Aleksandar Vu- "reliable partner" to Russia. ering was staged to sug- lieve that this is because he
Slavic ally Russia despite cic, praised the relationship Several bilateral agree- gest that the Serbian leader wants a staunch ally — or
formally seeking Europe- between the two countries. ments were signed, includ- has many more supporters perhaps a Trojan horse —
an Union membership. It Putin handed a top Russian ing on the supply of Russian than opponents, who have within the 28-nation bloc.
has refused to join West- honor to Vucic, who gave gas and weapons to Ser- been marching the same Putin's popularity in Serbia is
ern sanctions against Rus- a puppy of a Serb dog bia. route since December to mostly because the Krem-
sia over Ukraine and has breed to the Russian presi- On the gas, Putin said Rus- demand free elections and lin is supporting Serbia in
pledged to stay out of dent. sian companies are ready media. its rejection of Kosovo's in-
NATO. Vucic thanked Russia for its to invest about $1.4 billion Several liberal Serbian rights dependence. In contrast,
Putin has recently stepped support for Serbia's claim into a stretch of a pipeline groups issued a statement most Western countries
up efforts to restore Mos- over Kosovo, a former that would go from Turkey on Thursday protesting "glo- have recognized Kosovo's
cow's influence in the for- province that declared via EU-member Bulgaria rification of Vladimir Putin's statehood.q