President Taye Receives Russian Orthodox Church Delegation

Addis Ababa, June 3, 2026 - President Taye Atske Selassie today received Metropolitan Anthony Sevryuk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the National Palace in Addis Ababa.

 

During the meeting, Metropolitan Anthony congratulated Ethiopia on the successful conduct of its recent general election, describing the process as peaceful, free, and stable.

 

 

"We know that recently there was a very important event in the life of Ethiopia, the elections that took place in a very peaceful and free way, and we are very much happy about that," he said.

Metropolitan emphasized the deep historical and spiritual ties between Ethiopia and Russia, noting that relations between the two nations are rooted in their shared Christian heritage.

Describing Ethiopia as a country of profound biblical significance, he said his first visit to the country had been a deeply meaningful experience.

Metropolitan Anthony also highlighted the longstanding partnership between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, referring to the latter as a sister church with which the Russian Orthodox Church shares common values and extensive cooperation in religious affairs.

 

 

According to him, relations between the two churches have steadily expanded since the 1960s and 1970s through regular exchanges of church leaders, clergy, and theological students.

He noted that Ethiopian clergy and students have pursued theological studies at Russian theological academies for decades, helping strengthen institutional and people-to-people relations between the two countries.

Expressing confidence in the future of Ethiopia-Russia relations, Metropolitan Anthony said the strong ties between the two churches would continue to contribute to broader cooperation between the two nations.

He added that he looked forward to meeting leaders of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church during his stay in Ethiopia and expressed hope that the visit would further enhance collaboration between the churches and their peoples.

For his part, President Taye underscored the longstanding and historic relationship between Ethiopia and Russia and reaffirmed Ethiopia's commitment to deepening cooperation across various sectors.

The two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and reiterated their commitment to further strengthening relations between the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, while reinforcing the broader friendship between Ethiopia and Russia.