DECR Chairman arrives in Kazan and meets with head of the Republic of Tatarstan

DECR Communication Service, 14.05.2024.

On May 14, 2024, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, to take part in the international conference of the Strategic Vision Group 'Russia – Islamic World: A Just Multipolar World Order and Secure Development', which is being held within the framework of the international economic forum 'Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2024'. More than 1.3 thousand participants from around the world will take part in the event.

The delegation was headed by Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations. It consisted of Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman, Hieromonk Gregory (Matrusov), chairman of the Patriarchal Expert Council for Cooperation with the Islamic World, Rev. Ilya Kashitsyn, secretary for interreligious relations of the Department, and Rev. Nikolai Vasin, assistant to the DECR chairman.

At the Kazan airport, the delegation was met by Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan. On the same day, in the building of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, the delegation was received by Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. Metropolitan Anthony conveyed to the Head of Tatarstan the warm greetings of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. In his turn, Rais of the Republic highly appreciated the personal participation of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the meeting of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group held on May 19, 2023 in Kazan, as well as his speech.

The participants of the meeting exchanged views on the situation in the world, international and interreligious relations. Prospects for further development of dialogue between Orthodoxy and Islam were noted, especially against the background of the degradation of family and moral traditions in a number of regions of the world and among individual religious communities. The parties stressed that Tatarstan is an example of building good relations between traditional religions both at the level of religious and state leaders and clergy, and in everyday life.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Minnikhanov and Metropolitan Anthony exchanged souvenirs.

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DECR Chairman arrives in Kazan and meets with head of the Republic of Tatarstan

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons