Department for External Church Relations
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DECR deputy chairman meets with Iranian diplomats
DECR Communication Service, 09/02/2024
On February 8, 2024, Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, met with representatives of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – counsellors for culture and education Hojjat ul-Islam Meysam Amroudi and Dr. Yousef Nouri, who were accompanied by representatives of Iran’s Cultural Representation in Russia, including its head Mr Masoud Ahmadvand. Taking part in the meeting held at the Department for External Church Relations were also Archpriest Sergy Zvonarev, DECR Secretary for far Abroad Countries, and Rev. Iliya Kashitsyn, DECR Secretary for Interfaith Relations.
Archimandrite Philaret warmly greeted the guests. In his speech, the DECR deputy chairman dwelt on the Russian Orthodox presence in Iran, in particular, on the cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Muslim community in Iran established more than 30 years ago. As he emphasised, the dialogue that takes place within the framework of the Joint Russian-Iranian Commission for Orthodoxy-Islam Dialogue is most meaningful and extensive, covering both practical aspects of people’s lives and certain theological topics and making its important contribution to furthering Russia-Iran relations. The guests pointed out that maintaining traditional Christian, including Orthodox, presence in Iran is a matter of considerable importance for the country. They also noted that the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, had been the one to set an example of friendly relations between Muslims and Christians.
The participants in the meeting discussed various practical aspects of cooperation in preparation for the 13th session of the Joint Russian-Iranian Commission for Orthodoxy-Islam Dialogue due to be held in Iran in 2024.
In the evening of the same day, the Moscow Patriarchate representatives attended a reception given by Mr Kazem Jalali, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Federation, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
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