Metropolitan Hilarion meets with Düsseldorf Oberbügermeister Dirk Elbers

On 20 October 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with Mr. Dirk Elbers, Oberbügermeister of Düsseldorf. The meeting took place at the DECR premises.

Metropolitan Hilarion greeted the high guests and told him of the activities of the Department for External Church Relations – the eldest Synodal institution of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He said that many Russians consider Düsseldorf a most interesting German city from the point of tourism and business connections. He expressed his hope for the development of relations between Düsseldorf and Moscow as twin cities.

The DECR chairman informed Mr. Elbers of the work done by the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Germany, which is located in Düsseldorf, and of the urgent needs of the Russian Orthodox community.

Oberbügermeister Elbers thanked Metropolitan Hilarion for hospitality and invited him to visit the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia at his convenience.

Taking part in the meeting were also Archbishop Mark of Yegorievsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Management of Institutions Abroad and DECR staff members Rev. Alexander Vasyutin, Rev. Mikhail Bodanov and hierodeacon Roman (Kiselev).