His Holiness Patriarch Alexy meets with Greek foreign minister

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia met on June 29, 2006, with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoiani, at his residence in St. Daniel’s monastery. Participating in the meeting were also Greek Ambassador to Moscow Elias Klis and Russian Ambassador to Athens A. Vdovin.

Welcoming his guest, the patriarch said, “I hope that the visit of the Greek foreign minister will give a new impulse to relations between our two countries’.

His Holiness also noted that an increasing number of Greeks come to visit Russian Orthodox holy places and Russian pilgrims go to Greece to venerate her shrines.

In conclusion of the meeting, His Holiness noted, ‘We always bear witness together with representatives of the Republic of Greece to the spiritual closeness that exists between our two nations’. These meetings are always held in a warm and cordial atmosphere because the Russian and Greek people are united by Orthodox faith, he stressed.

His Holiness said the meeting discussed the development of church life in Russia.

Then His Holiness invited Ms. Bakoiani to the residence’s chapel dedicated to All Saints who shone Forth in the Russian Land.