Metropolitan Kirill sends a congratulatory message to the new prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, sent the following message to Gordon Brown, new prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who assumed his new post on June 27, 2007.

Your Excellency,

Kindly accept my heartfelt congratulations on your assumption of the post of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

May the high confidence accorded you fill you with energy and resolution to serve to the benefit of the people of your country and the whole world.

We are living at a difficult time of political and economic contradictions and numerous threats to peace and security. Statesmen therefore bear an exceptional responsibility for the fate of the world.

Much ties Russia and Great Britain together. The history of relations between our countries has seen ups and downs, but the Russians and the British have always had respect for each other and interest in each other. I am convinced that we have all the opportunities for making our relations ever better and more trusting.

In recent years, a major Russian-speaking church diaspora have formed in Great Britain. Many Orthodox Christians, who came to England from countries of the Commonwealth of the Independent States to study or to work, have taken an active part in church life. I hope that the government of the United Kingdom will pay attention to their needs.

I wish you success in carrying out the important duty of the head of Her Majesty’s Government.

With profound respect,

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad

Chairman

Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate