Russian ambassador discussing the status of the Estonian Orthodox Church with the Estonian interior minister

RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR DISCUSSING THE STATUS OF THE ESTONIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH WITH THE ESTONIAN INTERIOR MINISTER

The Russian embassy press service in Tallinn reported that the Russian Ambassador there, K.Provalov, and the Estonian interior minister T.Loodus met on May 16. The Russian side put forward as the main theme for discussion the problem of the registration of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, noting that further delay in solving it by the Estonian authorities could not but affect the general atmosphere of Russian-Estonian relations. The ambassador said that “we cannot be indifferent to the situation where the fundamental rights of over one hundred thousand Orthodox believers are grossly violated in a civilized European country seeking to join the European Union”. He also expressed hope that the problem of the Orthodox Church in Estonia would be resolved in the nearest future in accordance with the Estonian law and on the basis of the commonly accepted norms of international law.

Mr. Loodus informed the Russian ambassador that he would immediately send a letter to Metropolitan Cornilius of Tallinn and All Estonia, setting forth his vision of ways in which the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate can be registered.