His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Juan Eduardo Eguiguren, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chile to the Russian Federation
On 6 September 2010, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church received Juan Eduardo Eguiguren Guzmán, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chile to the Russian Federation. Present at the meeting on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church were Rev. Sergiy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for far abroad countries and a staff member of the same secretariat Miguel Palasio. Also taking part in the meeting was Ms. T. Demidenko, assistant of the Chilean Ambassador to Russia.
His oline4ssPatriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia congratulated Juan Eduardo Eguiguren on his recent appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chile to the Russian Federation. “You have been recently appointed to Moscow, and we welcome your arrival to the capital of our country. The Russian Orthodox Church and the diplomatic representation of Chile in Moscow maintain good relations. I do hope that these relations would be intensified. Chile is a country with a strong Christian tradition, and therefore I believe that our relations will be developed also in solution of the current world problems from a Christian perspective.”
Ambassador Eguiguren thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for the meeting, saying, “I wanted very much to visit you and am happy to be received by you. I know that the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and our embassy have always been good ones and hope that my mission would serve to their strengthening to the satisfaction of the followers of our confessions.” The Ambassador added that the Orthodox Church had existed in Chile for many years and was very active. “There are Orthodox churches in our country, and I know that parishioners, at least in Santiago, are active churchgoers.”
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expressed his profound condolences to the Ambassador with the devastating earthquake last February and mine collapse after which many miners were trapped and said, “We pray to the Lord to give them strength.”
His Holiness mentioned popularity of the Russian diplomat Aleksandr Ionin’s book “In South America” and works of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, adding that the Russian and Chilean people keep up a good tradition of friendship and that many Chileans who arrived in Russia in the 1970-80s because of the difficult situation in their country have settles in our country and set up families, while many émigrés from Russia went to Chile after the Revolution of 1917.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill told his guest about the life of the Russian Orthodox parishes in Chile and particular features of the ministry: all priest of the Russian Church are native Chileans and celebrate in the Spanish.)
The Patriarch congratulated the Ambassador on the 200th anniversary of the independence of Chile and handed over his congratulatory address to the President Sebastián Piňera.
In conclusion of the meeting Ambassador Eguiguren thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for his prayers. “We thank you for your prayers for the miners and their families. Your support is very important for us,” he underscored.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presented Ambassador Eguiguren with the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.