Congratulations to the newly elected President of Russia

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA

On March 27, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia AlexyII sent the following congratulatory cable to the newly elected Presidentof the Russian Federation Vladimir V.Putin:

‘Your Excellency, highly respected Vladimir Vladimirovich! Please acceptmy congratulations on your election into the important office of Presidentof the Russian Federation. Your convincing victory in the first round ofPresidential election is a sign of a particular vote of people’s confidence.

I hope and believe that you will justify the highest hopes of peoplesof the great Russia, who have endured a lot of suffering in the outgoingtwentieth century and deserve a better lot at present. You are to pavethe way of our country into the new century and the new millennium. MayGod’s almighty help be with you in the solution of difficult economic andsocial problems of Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church is prepared to cooperationin the building up the future of the nation on the basis of spiritual andmoral values and traditions of our people.

May the Lord help you in your difficult and responsible ministry tothe Fatherland and may He crown you efforts aimed at the achievement ofcivil accord and safeguarding of peaceful and constructive developmentof Russia with complete success.

I wish you, your near and dear ones and your fellow workers physicalstrength and good spirits, patience and courage. May God help you.

With respect and prayer for you,

Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of theDepartment for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, alsocongratulated the newly elected President:

‘Your Excellency, deeply respected Vladimir Vladimirovich!

I cordially congratulate you on the convincing victory, which has madethe second round of presidential election unnecessary. This vote of profoundconfidence on the part of the people of Russia has been a vivid expressionof their hopes for the better future, which so many inhabitants of Russialink with your name in their hearts.

Believing in the Lord, Who orders the ways of peoples’ life, I wishyou abundant help of God in overcoming many difficulties, which our Fatherlandis experiencing at present. I sincerely hope that your activity at thehighest governmental post will bring about stability in the life of oursociety and will serve the consolidation of peace and prosperity of thepeople of Russia.

I affirm my unalterable willingness to continue the development of mutuallyhelpful cooperation in the field of relations between the Church and thestate, in strengthening morality, in the development of spiritual lifeof people, in peacemaking and in solution of interreligious and interethnicproblems.

I wish you, your family and all your fellow workers good health andGod’s blessing in your work for the good of the Fatherland.

With highest regards,

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Departmentfor External Church Relations, Moscow Patriarchate.