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On 9 April 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), on a visit to the Orthodox Church of Greece at the invitation of His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, met with Antonis Samaras, leader of New Democracy party.

That same day the DECR chairman met with the Greek Deputy Minister of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affair John Panaretos.

Discussed during both meetings was the experience of church-state relations in Greece and Russia.

Taking part in the talks were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Greek Republic Vladimir Chkhikbishvili and DECR deputy chairman archpriest Nikolai Balashov.