the same day, Archbishop Stefan stated that he only recognised autocephaly that is granted from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in accordance, he stated, with canon law. The formal statement from the MOC released the following day explained that it viewed the document it had received from the SOC as a mere "recommendation [...] of autocephaly". On 10 June 2022, on a visit to Istanbul, Archbishop Stefan was handed the Patriarchal and Synodal Act confirming the canonical and liturgical unity with the Church of Constantinople. On 12 June, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Stefan concelebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St. George in the Phanar. Present at this liturgy was a delegation of the Government of North Macedonia: the prime minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovačevski, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bujar Osmani, the Minister of Defence, Slavjanka Petrovska, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Oliver Spasovski; also present was a delegation of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy led by its General Secretary Maximos Charakopoulos. After this liturgy, Kovačevski was received by the Ecumenical Patriarch in a private audience; Kovačevski thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for his decision of recognizing the MOC, and stated the Patriarch had corrected a historical injustice by doing so. On 22 June 2022, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church established communion with the MOC. On 25 August 2022, the Russian Orthodox Church established communion with the MOC. The church's autocephaly was recognized by the Romanian Orthodox Church on 9 February 2023. Organization Dioceses on the territory of North Macedonia Diocese of Skopje, headed by Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid and Macedonia; Diocese of Tetovo and Gostivar, headed by Metropolitan Joseph; Diocese of Kumanovo and Osogovo, headed by Metropolitan Joseph; Diocese of Debar and Kičevo, headed by Metropolitan Timothy; Diocese of Prespa and Pelagonia, headed by Metropolitan Peter; Diocese of Strumica, headed by Metropolitan Naum; Diocese of Bregalnica, headed by Metropolitan Hilarion; Diocese of Povardarie, headed by Metropolitan Agathangel Diaspora dioceses American-Canadian Diocese, headed by Metropolitan Methodius European Diocese, headed by Metropolitan Pimen Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, administered by Metropolitan Peter of Prespa and Pelagonia, headquarters in Melbourne. Diocese of Australia and Sydney, administered by Metropolitan Timothy of Debar and Kičevo, headquarters in Sydney. Outside the country, the church is active in 4 dioceses in the Macedonian diaspora. The 12 dioceses of the church are governed by ten Episcopes, with around 500 active priests in about 500