Festive reception at Russian Embassy in Costa Rica to celebrate Russia’s Days in Latin American countries

Russian Ambassador in Costa Rica V. Nikolaenko gave on 21 October 2008 a festive reception launching in Costa Rica numerous events within Russia’s Days in Latin American countries.

Among honorary guests were Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, and Mr. Edgar Ugalde, Costa Rican deputy minister for foreign affairs and cults.

‘I would like to wholeheartedly thank our ambassador, who has done so much for developing Russian-Latin American relations’, Metropolitan Kirill said in his address, noting that the visit of a Russian delegation to Costa Rica was made to relate modern Russia to both Russian compatriots and local people.

‘Russia is a country that unites ages-old traditions with aspirations for the future. While our state and its economy is rapidly modernizing today we continue to be Russia because we preserve our faith and culture and believe that it is very important to do in the modern world’, Metropolitan Kirill stressed.

In this connection, he added, ‘the delegation who have come to Costa Rica has two tasks: first, to help enrich its spiritual and cultural life so that the Russian community may become more consolidated, and secondly, to introduce Costa Rica to the new Russia’.

Mr. Ugalde said he was gratified by the fact that Costa Rica was included in Russia’s Days in Latin American countries. He noted that relations between Russia and Costa Rica were first established 172 ago, but intensive cooperation between the two states had only developed for the last 50 years, and the year 2008 would see cultural and spiritual enrichment in their relations.

DECR Communication Service

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