On September 12, 2025, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the Republic of Cyprus H.E. Mr. Sergii Nizhynskyi, met with His Beatitude Georgios, Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus, Primate of the Church of Cyprus.

During his first official visit to the Archbishop of Cyprus following the presentation of his Letters of Credence, Ambassador of Ukraine Sergii Nizhynskyi expressed his profound respect and reverence for the Church of Cyprus as one of the cradles of Christianity and received a blessing for his diplomatic mission from the Primate of one of the most ancient Orthodox Churches. The Church of Cyprus was granted autocephaly at the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in AD 431, and it was also among the Local Churches that officially recognized the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on October 24, 2020.

During the audience, Ambassador of Ukraine Sergii Nizhynskyi presented His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios with an icon containing a relic of Saint Luke of Crimea, a highly venerated saint of the Orthodox Church, especially honored in Cyprus.

Saint Luke (in the world Valentyn Felixovych Voyno-Yasenetskyi, 15 April 1877 – 11 June 1961) was born in Kerch, graduated from Kyiv University, served as a surgeon, and carried out archpastoral ministry in the territory of modern-day Ukraine.

Ambassador of Ukraine Sergii Nizhynskyi emphasized the long-standing and strong friendship between the peoples of Ukraine and Cyprus and the fraternal love uniting our Orthodox Churches. He also expressed his confidence that Saint Luke, as a holy physician-surgeon, will continue to provide assistance in all life’s hardships, while his earthly title “of Crimea” will forever remind all those who turn to him for help that Crimea is Ukraine.

In conclusion of the audience, all those present joined in prayer for peace in Ukraine, led by His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios.