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On 24 May 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Throne Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

The head of the Russian state greeted His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos, saying: I thank you for having timed your visit to this day, on which we celebrate the Name Day of our Patriarch and the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. It is even more evident on such a day that we are united by deep spiritual roots. President Putin hopes that the Primate of the Church of Greece will like his stay in Russia.

Archbishop Ieronymos thanked the President of the Russian Federation and said: ‘In accordance with church practice, I am paying an official peace visit to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. We have chosen this day as it is a great Christian feast, the Ascension of the Lord, and also the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius. Besides, we wanted to celebrate the Name Day of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill together.”

Addressing the head of the Russian state, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos noted the importance and responsibility of his ministry. “Our people share the centuries-long history, and we need even more unity. It is very important to support one another in our time,” he added.