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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia congratulated the President of the Republic of Paraguay Fernando Lugo on the 200th anniversary of independence. Text of the message is given below.

Your Excellency, dear Mr. President:

I wholeheartedly greet You and all the inhabitants of Paraguay with the remarkable date – the 200th independence anniversary.

Your country is often called “the heart of America.” This name is justifiable not only by the geographic location of the country in the centre of the South American continent, but also because the people of Paraguay, having gone through difficult and often tragic historical events, could have kept Christian quality of the soul and kind and responsive heart.

The Paraguayans and the Russians have maintained warm friendly relations for a century. The Paraguayans cherish the memory of General Ivan Timofeyevich Belyayev and of all Russian people who had fought for the sovereignty of the Republic in the 1930s displaying personal heroism and art of war and later contributed to culture and education in the country. The creative work of the renowned Paraguayan composer José Asunción Flores is well known and respected in Russia.

It is gratifying to know that the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Paraguay, the Intercession Church in Asunción and St. Nicholas’ Church in Encarnación, enjoy unfailing support of the country’s authorities. I hope that this good tradition will continue.

I wish You spiritual and physical strength and God’s help in your responsible work of President of the Republic of Paraguay, and peace and prosperity to all its inhabitants.

Yours truly,

/+Kirill/

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia