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On September 24, 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, met with the newly-appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Russia, Mr. John F. Tefft.

Participating in the meeting were Ms. Branka Bell of the US Embassy’s political department, Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), a DECR vice-chairman, Archpriest Sergiy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for the far abroad, and Miguel Palacio of the DECR secretariat for the far abroad.

Metropolitan Hilarion welcomed the high guest. He told him about the present situation of the Russian Orthodox Church, its service in the world and about the work of the Department for External Church Relation.

The US Ambassador, on his part, thanked Metropolitan Hilarion for the meeting and noted the weighty role played by the Russian Church in the life of Russian society.

In his talk with the American ambassador, the DECR chairman expressed concern for the situation of Christians in the Middle East. They discussed the situation in Ukraine. Metropolitan Hilarion spoke about the peacemaking mission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the conflict in the east of the country. He also noted that an ardent prayer is lifted up in the Church for the establishment of a lasting peace with justice in the Ukrainian land.

At a request of Mr. Tefft, Metropolitan Hilarion told him about the relations between the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches and the Orthodox-Catholic cooperation.

After the talk, Metropolitan Hilarion presented the newly-appointed US ambassador with tokens of the meeting.

DECR Communication Service