Moscow – Christianity is “an integral part” of the Middle Eastern culture, and it is necessary to “ensure the return of Christians and members of other religious minorities” who have fled from their countries of origin due to situations of violence and persecution, guaranteeing in particular the stabilization of the political situation in Iraq and Syria. This was stated by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, on the occasion of the meeting held on Wednesday 20 June in Moscow with Patriarch Kirill, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. Guterres – report Russian sources and Agency – expressed words of appreciation for the efforts of the Moscow Patriarchate in interreligious dialogue, and while reiterating the generally shared judgment on Middle Eastern regimes such as the Syrian, he admitted that those regimes, in their own way, in some respects represented a factor of protection for religious minorities.
During his visit to Moscow, the UN Secretary-General also met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Source: Agenzia Fides
