His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II meets His Holiness Patriarch Pavle and Yugoslavian President Vojislav Kostunica

HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH ALEXY II MEETS HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH PAVLE AND YUGOSLAVIAN PRESIDENT VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA

On October 27, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia met with His Holiness Patriarch Pavle of Serbia and President of the Federate Republic of Yugoslavia V. Kostunica, at his residence in St. Daniel’s monastery in Moscow. Taking part in the meeting were also Russian foreign minister I. Ivanov, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Archbishop Arseny of Istra, and Metropolitan Amfilohije of Crna Gora and Primorje and Bishop Sava of Sumadija (Serbian Orthodox Church).

Greeting the President Vojislav Kostunica, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy said in particular, “We hope that with your election all the sanctions with regard to Yugoslavia, against which the Russian Orthodox Church has consistently objected since 1994, will be ended in the nearest future and Yugoslavia will be able to begin rebuilding ruined buildings, establishing peaceful life and solving her still existing internal problems. We cannot be indifferent to the further fate of Yugoslavia. While respecting fully the freedom of the Yugoslavian people to determine their way independently, we consider it important that the Federate Republic should be preserved”.

In his response the President of the Federate Republic of Yugoslavia noted that “I have come to Russia for a very important visit. This visit has shown once again how closely tied are our nations and our Churches. In the past years, especially last year, it would have been very difficult for us to survive many hardships, if it were not for the support of Russia, her Government, President and the Russian Orthodox Church. We will never forget the selfless help we received from the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian officials in the period of the NATO aggression and bombing of Yugoslavia”.