Metropolitan Kirill sets off on a visit to Yemen

On 5 December 2005, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, set off on a visit to the Republic of Yemen on the invitation of state leadership of the country. The high-ranking representative of the Russian Orthodox Church was met at the airport by the Vice Minister of Vaqufs and Moral Orientation, Sheikh Ahia Najar, and other officials. A. Zasypkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Yemen, and embassy’s staff-members participated in the meeting from the Russian part.

Greeting the high guest, Ahia Najar underscored the importance of the visit taken by the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church for the development of good relations between peoples of our countries.

His Eminence answered the questions from journalists of the ‘Saba’ national information agency at the airport. Concerning the purpose of his visit, Metropolitan Kirill said that his visit was one of the steps made by the Moscow Patriarchate to promote the Christian-Muslim dialogue. He underscored that traditionally friendly relations between the peoples of Russia and Yemen offer a considerable potential for the development of this dialogue. Metropolitan Kirill believes that adherence of the followers of two world religions to traditional moral values and their devotion to their own civilization identity in globalizing world also contribute to it.

Metropolitan Kirill is accompanied by Rev. Georgy Riabykh, DECR MP assistant, and A.Okhotkin, Russian scientist on Arab countries and public figure.