His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić

DECR Communication Service, 08/05/2025

On 8^th May 2025, at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence in St. Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ met with the President of the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Mr Aleksandar Vučić.

The delegation accompanying Mr Vučić included Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, Representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; Mr Momčilo Babić, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to the Russian Federation; Mr Zlatibor Lončar, Serbia’s Minister of Health; Mr Nenad Popović, Minister without portfolio in the Government of Serbia; Ms Tanja Jović, Foreign Policy Adviser to the President; Mr Dragutin Matanović, Adviser to the President; and Mr Dušan Bajatović, General Director of Srbijagas.

Representing the Russian Orthodox Church at the meeting were also Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, Personal Secretary to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR Deputy Chairman.

As the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said, warmly greeting the high guest, Serbians are closer than anyone to Russian people, being their brothers by blood, culture and faith, and Serbia has always been with Russia, and Russia with Serbia. These unique bonds of mutual sympathy and cooperation have stood the test of time, having survived the ordeals of the period when the Orthodox Church was in a difficult situation in both countries, His Holiness added.

“But those days are gone, and I believe that the real relations between our peoples, who always find strength in the Orthodox faith, have become even more cordial and friendly. It is very important,” His Holiness continued.

Pointing out some of the present-day challenges in international relations, Patriarch Kirill said: “We cannot say that the world is getting more tranquil, perhaps richer and more self-assured, but not tranquil. That is why relations with such fraternal countries as Serbia are of such importance to Russia. And it relates not only to certain like-mindedness in tackling political issues, for example. Again and again, I would like to say that Serbian people are truly our brothers. The whole history of our relations demonstrates that.”

During the meeting, His Holiness also mentioned the visit of the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church to Moscow, which took place on 21^st – 26^th April 2025, and noted that it had been a great pleasure for him to meet with His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije. “We had an opportunity to discuss both pan-Orthodox affairs and our bilateral relations. We agreed that within the inter-Orthodox relations, the relationship between our two Churches plays a special role,” Patriarch Kirill said, “We are always together, supporting and helping each other. This solidarity, which springs from our cultural and spiritual commonality and our history, remains a significant factor, in inter-Orthodox relations included, helping to preserve the unity of the Orthodox Churches. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije’s visit has taken place quite recently, and we had the opportunity to meet and pray together. It was a big and important event for us. And, I believe, the meeting of His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije with the head of our state was also very useful.”

As Patriarch Kirill also emphasised, the Russian Orthodox Church shares in the sorrow and concern over the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. “In this matter, the Russian Church is always with the Serbian Church, the Serbian people,” His Holiness said, “And since this topic entails certain tension in international relations and can have difficult political consequences, it is our wholehearted wish (and we will do everything within our power for that) that this topic, as posing a real danger, be removed from the agenda of international relations, that justice prevail, and that the fraternal Serbian people no longer grieve about the situation in that land which is of historical significance for them and the Serbian Church.”

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr Aleksandar Vučić, expressed his pleasure at meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and conveyed to him brotherly greetings from Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia. As Mr Vučić noted, Patriarch Porfirije’s visit to Moscow and his meetings with the Primate of the Russian Church and the President of the Russian Federation left a very good impression on him.

The Serbian President also emphasised the spiritual unity of the two Orthodox Christian nations, as well as of the Russian and the Serbian Orthodox Churches.

At the conclusion of the meeting, an award ceremony took place. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ received the highest award of the Republic of Serbia – the Order of the Republic of Serbia, 1^st class, on a grand collar.