The Ecumenical Patriarchate's decision on Monday to recognize North Macedonia's church as the 'Church of Ohrid' was discussed in a meeting between the country's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and its Archbishop Stefan held in Skopje on Tuesday.

A meeting of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, chaired by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, said that North Macedonia's church, led by Archbishop Stefan, is recognized as canonical and valid in the entire Orthodox world, and that canonical and liturgical unity is established with it and the faithful.

PM Kovachevski called this decision historic and he added that it was expected. He also congratulated Stefan on the fact that, as Phanar said, it accepts the hierarchy, the clergy and the people of the Church under Archbishop Stefan in Eucharistic communion, and that they are no longer at odds with the Orthodox world.

In its statement, the Ecumenical Patriarchate noted that the name "Macedonia" and all its derivatives were excluded, and that the country's church is now recognized only by the name "Ohrid".

The Church of Serbia must now settle administrative issues with the Church in North Macedonia, added the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The Skopje Orthodox Church seceded from the Serbian Patriarchate in 1967 and proclaimed itself the "Macedonian Orthodox Church", but was not recognized by any other official Orthodox church.

In November 2009, the so-called Macedonian Orthodox Church added to its name the suffix "Archdiocese of Ohrid", a self-proclaimed successor of the old Archdiocese of Ohrid.

On Tuesday, North Macedonia's Holy Synod thanked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the decision.

(Photo: EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI)