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On 24 July 2012, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, arrived at the Patriarchal and Synodal Spiritual, Administrative and Cultural Centre of the Russian Orthodox Church in the south of Russia at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

At the Centre, the Primates of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Russian Orthodox Church will hold a number of working meetings and discuss various issues of mutual relations and Pan-Orthodox cooperation.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill greeted His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II and noted that he was very glad to meet the Primate of the ancient See of Alexandria and that he looked forward to the upcoming fraternal talks. “Your visit will give us an opportunity to share our opinions on various issues on the agenda of the Orthodox Churches. Recalling my visit to the Church of Alexandria, I will always remember how cordially I was received on the African continent. Welcome, dear brother!”, – said His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for the invitation to visit the south of Russia and for the opportunity to meet with the Primate of the Russian Church. He expressed his deep gratitude to Patriarch Kirill for love and attention to the Church of Alexandria, which during this hard time feels fraternal support of the Russian Church and of her Primate.

His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II extended his condolences to Patriarch Kirill over the tragedy in Kuban. On arriving to the Synodal Centre, Patriarch Theodoros II visited the Home Chapel of Sts Cyril and Methodius and prayed for the health of those affected in the natural disaster in the Krasnodar region and for the repose of those who died.

Accompanying Patriarch Theodoros II on his visit are archimandrite Apostolos (Trifillis), head of the Personal Secretariat of the Patriarch of Alexandria, and archimandrite Leonid (Gorbachev), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, who had been in Egypt on a short working visit, arrived in Russia with His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria.