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On 30 June 2010, an official meeting between Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’ Department for External Church Relations, and the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev. Dr. Olaf Fykse Tveit took place at “Danilovskaya” hotel. They were joined in the meeting by the DECR deputy chairman hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh), the DECR acting secretary for inter-Christian relations Rev. Dimitry Sizonenko, and members of the WCC delegation, including the WCC Deputy General Secretary Jorge Lemopoulos (Patriarchate of Constantinople) and the executive secretary of the WCC Commission on Inter-Church Cooperation Rev. Daniel (Romanian Patriarchate).

Dr. Tveit expressed satisfaction with the visit and his gratitude for hospitality accorded to him by the Russian Orthodox Church. He noted that during meetings with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and with Russian state leaders the WCC delegation could appreciate the leading part played by the Church in the life of modern Russian society, and her versatile and fruitful cooperation with the state.

Dr. Tveit mentioned the problems the WCC is facing and expressed his interest in the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the work of this organization in future as it is very important to the Protestant world to hear the voice of the Orthodox Churches under present circumstances.

The DECR chairman also expressed his satisfaction with the result of the visit and confirmed that the Russian Orthodox Church did not renounce her participation in the WCC in spite of many difficulties hampering a fruitful theological dialogue.

Also discussed were prospects of cooperation with the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and participation of the Russian Orthodox Church’s representatives in the World Christian Forum and other WCC peace initiatives.